Team Herald 

MARGAO: “We live in a democracy where the government should listen to the voice of the people,” said Congress MLA and former chief minister Luizinho Faleiro while commenting on the proposal to have an education hub at Davorlim which has been objected to by the locals.

Recalling that around 1.25 lakh square metres of land was acquired in Davorlim for a technical education complex following a resolution adopted by the then Davorlim Dicarpale panchayat which the government is now planning to use for an education hub like the one at Curca.

“The government wants to shift the schools based in Margao to Davorlim to decongest Margao and people have objected to that,” he said and added that he had discussed the matter on four occasions with the Chief Minister, who assured to take him into confidence while deciding on the matter.

He said the locals have valid concern as the existing road network, which is congested, will not be able to cope with the increased traffic if the education hub is shifted to Davorlim.

“People want some land to handle their garbage and some land for an age-old Cross which exists here and the government should sit and talk to the people to find a solution to this issue,” he said.

He pointed out that children from Davorlim are finding it difficult to get admissions for higher education as the colleges in Margao and Navelim are filled to capacity and asserted that there is a need for higher educational institutes in Davorlim.

Luizinho inaugurated the compound wall constructed at the cost of Rs 17 lakh for the Anjuman Islahul Muslameen School at Davorlim under the MPLAD scheme sanctioned by late Shantaram Naik when he was an MP.

The school has around 2000 students and had initially started as Urdu medium school. It has been upgraded to a Higher Secondary School.