Team Herald
VASCO: Cortalim MLA Alina Saldanha on Friday claimed that she has been striving very hard to provide a clean and hygienic environment to Zuarinagar slum residents and working in same direction more and more new toilet facilities have been planned for the residents so that people stop defecating in open.
She was addressing the reporters on the sidelines of an inspection to take stock of the progress of market complex project work at Zuarinagar.
On the occasion, Saldanha also raised her serious concerns over the open defecation taking place at Zuarinagar and assured the residents that she would provide more and more toilet facilities in the area so that open defecation stops completely here.
“My goal is to make Zuarinagar open defecation free. We therefore collectively are striving towards making Zuarinagar clean, hygienic and decent human living condition to the people of Zuarinagar slums and that is what I am striving hard for by providing them at least small facilities like toilets,” she said.
She said that during her visit to Zuarinagar, the residents of Ganpati Katha and those living near government school said that they needed more new toilets. “So I have requested the Zuari Industries Limited to give more land to construct toilets for the residents. Zuari officials were very positive towards the request and they have asked us to give in writing on land requirement and I am sure that we would be able to provide new toilets for Zuarinagar residents in the land that would be provided by Zuari industries,” Saldanha said.
Commenting on the ongoing market project at Zuarinagar, she said, “Besides giving directions to increase the pace of work, I have also requested the contractor to tell the consultant to meet me as quickly as possible, because the residents having their houses near the project site are worried that after completion of market project, the passage nearby would be reduced. However, the issue was solved, as we have been informed that the market complex will have a setback of three meters plus the existing area, so the residents would not face any access problem.”
Saldanha also informed that the State government was very much positive towards fulfilling its rehabilitation promise made to the Zuarinagar slum residents and therefore Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar has made separate budgetary provisions for this purpose and the works in this direction would start soon.
