It is unfortunate that the Costa ground project controversy is dragging on for long, thanks to the Margao MLA, Digambar Kamat, clandestinely allowing this children’s playground to be converted into a settlement zone and gifted to a private builder close to him, during his tenure. Now Kamat is only paying lip service stating he played on this ground, nothing more.
His two councilors of Ward 17 and 20 who earlier were involved in the agitation, have since u-turned.
That Digambar Kamat started his political innings as a Margao Municipal Councilor of Ward No 4 (then) and now Ward 17 (of which I belong) is common knowledge and he was regular as Chief Guest for the Sebastian D’Cunha Memorial Football Tournament held on this ground in the 80s.
Digambar Kamat has been Margao MLA for around 20 years, most of which have been as a Congress MLA after rebellion and landing a BJP ticket to open his innings in the Assembly earlier, which saw him become the CM too. But for reasons best known to him, he never supported the citizens to acquire the ground for Margao’s generations.
For decades, the Costa ground is used by various schools, colleges, children and senior citizens and despite Margao not having a playground, the MLA didn’t move to acquire it, which gives rise to the suspicion that his real estate background could have ulterior motives for this prime space, even as paddy fields got converted into settlement zones and gifted to top city builders in the area.
Now the latest to jump on the band wagon is the BJP. Earlier this week the builder hired bouncers to thwart any move by the citizens to stop him from demarcating the area. A group of Aquem residents including a dubious one-time Kamat faithful-turned-foe, now in the BJP camp, attacked the builder in the past. While the presence of bouncers is deplorable, it was interesting to see BJP’s two time unsuccessful candidate from Margao, Sharmad Raiturcar jump on the Costa ground bandwagon and be present at the site early morning.
It is a shame that BJP Mandal members like Sharmad Raiturcar are resorting to dirty politics, misleading the people and it’s a bigger shame that Manohar Parrikar still involves in Goa matters when he could have used his time to better the defense forces or visit the tension filled borders with our neighbor’s like Pakistan.
Till date Margaoites await the BJP to fulfill its pre poll promises for the commercial capital, but are often seen taking a comprising stand with their former BJP comrade and now Margao Congress MLA.
I hope the BJP works unitedly for Margao than act by picking and choosing issues that fit their agenda.
