Who will be Panjim’s Abe Faria and breathe life into a stagnating city?

Panjim was once the proud capital of Goa. Part of the city’s ancient splendour barely survives, casting a spellbinding lure on discerning international and domestic tourists. The city’s landmark heritage buildings, the colourful villas, streets and promenades which give the city its unmatched singularity, lie in a state of neglect, alongside crumbling infrastructure. In this context, Panjim’s most iconic statue of Abe Faria which also lies neglected, is a loud metaphor of ‘a city gone to sleep,’ in contrast to the ancient lore, of Panjim as a land that never floods. 

Politically, the city was and remains a no man’s land and is flooded with neglect at every corner. It had no powerful or visionary MLA to resurrect the city. In fact, though chief ministers lived at their official residence at Panjim, none of them were ever elected from the city, except for Manohar Parrikar who represented the constituency for nearly four terms, though from Mapusa. His brief stint between 2000 and 2004 enkindled some hope of resurrecting Panjim, but his 2012-14 tenure left nothing to write home about. Parrikar’s sudden resignation has left a void in the political mindspace throwing the field wide open to a number of players from all shades of political affiliations. 

Though the major players -- the BJP and Congress, are yet to disclose their strategy and candidates, the Santa Cruz MLA Atanasio Monserrate has not only thrown his hat in the ring by declaring that he will contest as an Independent, but put a date on his election campaign launch – December 8, the feast of Immaculate Conception, even as the by elections has not been announced yet. Mayor Surendra Furtado himself has espoused his candidature for the Congress ticket before the Goa Pradesh Congress Committee president Luizinho Faleiro. As usual the Congress indecision on selecting a candidate as it happened in 2012 when Yatin Parekh who pulled strings in Delhi became a last minute candidate, outwitting Furtado, this year too surprises maybe in store.

The BJP too has many contenders including former Mayor Vaidehi Naik, Siddharth Kuncolienkar or even Atmaram Nadkarni both of who had been close confidants of Parrikar.

The question is will any of the candidates vying for the capital seat, prove to be Abe Faria for Panjim, and breathe life into the city?

In his first stint Parrikar promised the moon and actually delivered on some fronts such as improving traffic circulation with the new Patto bridges, expansion of the Dayanand Bandodkar road and promenade, the construction of the city market and multiplex. However some of his plans such as demolishing of the old Goa Medical College were a disastrous misadventure, firmly opposed by activists. However, in his 2012-2014 stint Parrikar basically did nothing for the city.

Monserrate has promised to work on the already drafted Master Plan and claims will deliver on Parrikar’s ‘pipe dreams’ for the city. Monserrate promises to put forth a People’s plan for the city through collaborative door to door visits. 

The constant battle between the Corporation of the City of Panjim which was controlled by Monserrate and the BJP MLA Parrikar led to neglect and decay of the city. The CCP was not only starved for routine government grants to pay salaries, but even for JNNURM funds which were released by Centre of DPRs prepared by the CCP for a city sewerage proposal and another for cleaning of the St Inez Creek for which about Rs 90 crores were sanctioned through the efforts of the Mayor Surendra Furtado. 

Furtado’s early forays to make a difference to the city, were cut short by Parrikar, since Furtado emerged as a threat to his seat. But the Mayor did get a number of projects done including getting various vehicles sponsored by Banks and private sector under CSR.

Whatever the political calculus, Panjim desperately needs to sort out its parking and traffic circulation plan. Infrastructure requires a major overhaul. The second phase of market and construction of a fish market are the dire need of the hour. The heritage quotient of the city has to be restored. There is need for a rapid mass transport system, preferably with electric vehicles and large free parking areas outside to decongest the city of cars, illegal hawkers, beggars and chaos. There should be promotion of car sharing, pay parking and pedestrian only avenues to make the city a pleasurable experience. 

Whomsoever the city decides on, to represent it, we need an MLA with vision, resources and commitment to restore the city as a worthy capital of India’s best small State and more than upgradation of infrastructure and aesthetics and being a model city, Panjim has to recover its soul.