Islands want isolation... also development

CUMBARJUA: Famous for islands and most beautiful Carambolim Lake and Basilica of Bom Jesus located at Old Goa, and ferries all over, Cumbarjua constituency which take pride to serve as one of the important tourist destinations in Goa can be a classic example of how government gives step-motherly treatment to a constituency having an opposition MLA.

For the voters, however, whatever issues that were existing for the last five years, remain the same, except for tarring and hot-mixing some road works and resolving water issues. Cumbarjua is yet to get a proper market complex at Old Goa, a proper police station cum fire station building which is presently under operation an in a dilapidated building near Old Goa. Most importantly the Carambolim Lake is the actual identity of Cumbarjua. However, even this lake has been neglected in the last five years.

Turning to employment, not many people from Cumbarjua were provided government jobs in last five years, while the number of unemployed ratio is comparatively high in this constituency which is dominated by the farmer and fishermen community. People complain that the government failed to consider high unemployment ratio and made no efforts to set up any industrial units in this constituency so that local unemployment issue could be resolved. They are also irked with the way Cumbarjua has witnessed high influx of migrants in last few years and the way garbage menace has increased manifolds.

Cumbarjua is famous as an island town situated on the banks of the Mandovi River. People living in these islands -- Divar, St Estevam, Cumbarjua and Vaxim -- have high hopes on the government in power to support their decision in preserving the identity of their Island village. However, today the residents are quite upset with the way land sharks have been eyeing the island properties. People also fear that as their former MLA Pandurang Madkaikar is involved in real estate business, land sharks might use his influence to grab their ancestral properties. These fears have forced a group of residents to oppose any bridge connectivity to the islands. 

Though the people are quite happy with Gaundalim Bridge connecting Old Goa side to the Cumbarjua island provided by state government, they are equally upset with the way the government failed to build road over bridge (RoB) over Konkan Railway track on the road leading to the said bridge due to which commuters have to wait for a long time at the railway level crossing.

Similarly the people living in Old Goa, considered a heritage site, are quite upset with the way the MLA has failed to take up any major projects in their village. “I don’t see anything that has happened in Old Goa Panchayat, which is part of Cumbarjua constituency. The only development that had happened in Old Goa was during the decennial exposition of relics of St Francis Xavier where GSIDC officials did some road and beautification work. Besides that we had nothing to cheer about,” said Old Goa Sarpanch Vinayak Fadte. 

Interestingly the former MLA Pandurang Madkaikar also acknowledges the fact that he could not take up these above mentioned projects because he was in opposition in last five years and this prompted him to join BJP only to complete his developmental promise. “I know that many of my pet projects remained unfulfilled because I was in opposition. Now I have joined BJP with the intention that development would take place. However, if at all I have to again sit in opposition then this would be my last election and I will retire from politics,” Madkaikar claimed.

People here are also irked with the recent decision of Madkaikar to join BJP. Some of them even claimed that they are finding it very difficult to understand why their MLA has been changing sides without consulting the voters. “Earlier he was with MGP so we shifted sides and started wearing MGP cap. Then he moved to Congress and we followed him, now he again changed his party and joined BJP and left us all confused,” said a local shopkeeper who wished to remain anonymous.

The voters here are confused, as on one side they have Madkaikar who has been changing party like clothes and other hand they find no strong opposition to choose against Madkaikar.  “The only strong opposition that Madkaikar could have in the 2017 polls was former MLA Nirmal Sawant. However, as she decided not to contest we are now confused whom to vote,” said a tea stall shop operator from Divar Island.