Mhapsekars awaiting a smart Mapusa

It looks like Mhapshekars will have to wait for few more years to see Mapusa as a smart city. This was promised to them by the present Mapusa Municipal Council during the 2015 Municipal elections.

The panel backed by the BJP government during the last election had promised speedy development and making Mapusa a smart city. Though not speedy the city is making slow and steady move on the developmental projects. 

From emphasizing e-governance to smooth municipal administration along with providing civic services to the citizens in a transparent manner, the manifesto included, outlining &development of the city.

People were also promised smooth co ordination between the government departments and panel would act as a vehicle for delivering various schemes to the common man. However, people claimed because of a lack of coordination between the departments, projects such as sewerage projects, proper roads were taking years to complete. 

While planning the development of the city, the famous Mapusa market is scheduled to be upgraded. The municipality is planning to implement the Master Plan for up gradation of infrastructure in municipal market including augmentation of drainage network, provision of service ducts, fire hydrant network, surveillance network, etc and it is under process. 

The panel had also promised to solve the garbage issue in a scientific manner but the garbage issue is haunting Mhapsekars everyday as piles of garbage can seen lying on the roadsides.

Other than this, people are eagerly waiting for the new bus stand with a hope that it will solve the parking and traffic congestion in the city though the new bus stand project is by the state Government.

However looking at the present situation of Mapusa city, people claimed that the councilors which failed to solve small issues like clearing stray cattle and dog menace from the city, one should understand what will be the status of the bigger promises which were made by the panel.

People also claimed illegal construction was increasing in the municipal jurisdiction with authorities failing to take strict action.

Ex chairperson of MMC Ashish Shirodkar said,” The major failure of this council was the new vegetable market building. The reason for having this building was to decongest the market by shifting the vegetable vendors in this building however during the time of placement, unlimited number of vendors occupied the area and now the market is overflowing. As a result more vendors have encroached the market. Secondly development projects which were approved and even tendered by the previous council in all the wards, work of these project is not followed up and now there is no sign of those development works”.

Chairperson Rohan Kavlekar said,” From 2015 till today Mapusa Municipal Council have taken up many development works/projects. Also the revenue of the MMC has grown and have also managed to get Government grants. So in the last two and half year the Mapusa Municipality has progressed”.