TEAM HERALD
MARGAO: Claiming that he had played on Aquem’s Costa ground during his childhood days, Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar on Friday promised an amicable solution to the Costa ground row, accepting that it was the legacy of Aquemkars.
When a delegation of Aquem Ground Bachao Association called on him at the Margao railway station around noon, Parrikar appealed to the people to maintain their cool till September end, promising a solution. “Don’t have any clash till September end. I will meet you as well as the builder by next Saturday. The builder’s interest is financial, while your demand is the ground. I will work out an amicable solution,” he told the delegation. “I know,” Parrikar said, when the Parish Priest of St Sebastian Church, Aquem Fr Ligorino D’Costa pointed out to him that the Costa ground is the legacy of Aquemkars.
In a lighter vein, Parrikar said he would have acquired the Costa ground by now if Margao had a BJP MLA, but he hastened to add that he is not indulging in politics on the issue.
On the demand of the delegation for the suspension of Margao PI Sudesh Naik for filing “false” cases against the residents, Parrikar sought to know whether the police has arrested anyone in the case. “The police must have registered the cases following a FIR lodged by the builder. There’s a Supreme Court ruling mandating the police to register FIRs,” he said, while asking the delegation that the matter can be discussed separately at a later stage.
Chairman of the Association Naveeen Raikar has said the delegation has submitted a memorandum to the Chief Minister demanding acquisition of the Costa ground. He also reiterated the demand for the suspension of Margao police inspector Sudesh Naik.
In the memorandum, the Association strongly objected to the proposed construction project on the ground and demanded that the government issue an order revoking all licenses and permissions granted to the builder. They demanded an inquiry in the licensing procedure of the project.
