VIBHA VERMA
If you call the ensuing Legislative Assembly elections as a battle to balance tourism and the basic needs of locals living for ages in this popular tourist hub, you will be spot on.
The constituency that witnesses plenty entertainment events with holidayers pouring in every tourist season and long weekends is suddenly abuzz with election fever. Elections are talk of the town. Political canvassers headed by contesting candidates are knocking every door to garner votes.
Around 23,000 voters in the coastal belt of Calangute-Candolim-Sinquerim-Baga saw infrastructural development in the recent past, with special attention given to boost tourism.
The modern garbage treatment plant has been a boon to the coastal area.
However, the constituency is still marred with troubles like water woes, uninterrupted power supply and sewerage at certain locations. To add to this, the shack owners have their own grievances – lack of bio chemical toilets, CCTVs and other facilities on the beaches.
BJP’s sitting legislator Michael Lobo counts development works carried out in one of the most important constituencies arguing that past MLAs did not bother to create basic public facilities.
Changing room and toilets, which were the need of the hour considering large inflow of tourists here, were set up during this tenure.
In the 2012 Goa Assembly elections, the BJP won this constituency by 1,869 votes. Lobo secured 9,891 votes defeating his direct rival and two-time Congress MLA Agnelo Fernandes who managed 8,022 votes. The constituency had recorded 82.73 per cent voter turnout.
The first-time MLA had joined BJP around 12 years ago when it was in the Opposition. He claims that his priority was always to put in place infrastructure projects and tackle the garbage menace.
Till filing of this report, Congress had not announced their candidates as it is a tussle for the ticket first between Agnelo Fernandes and Joseph Sequeira.
Even though Congress’ second list of candidates is yet to be declared, Fernandes – also a businessman and a happy grandfather of twins, has already begun reaching out to his voters.
While he will go ahead with the general election manifesto of the party during his campaign trail, for Calangute he has some specifics. His first priority will be to ensure that Saligao treatment plant accepts waste of Calangute and adjoining areas only.
“While I appreciate the treatment plant handling the waste, we don’t want garbage from the whole district (North). Every village should treat its waste. Let it be shifted to a remote place since Calangute has a fragile ecology. I also do not approve treating garbage of the entire district also because Calangute is a tourist destination,” he said, speaking to Herald. The former legislator alleged that the famous spring in the hub is being affected owing to this development.
On the other hand, Calangute Deputy Sarpanch Joseph Sequeira is equally confident to get the party ticket. But what if he is surpassed? He says, “I will ask my workers about what needs to be done. If required I might go Independent. But let’s wait till the final list is released.”
Asked about the works in the constituency, he also sought for responsible development in the village citing that locals were cheated in the name of multipurpose hall.
“(Defence Minister) Manohar Parrikar fooled the people because (during his rein as chief minister of Goa) he acquired the land to set up a multipurpose hall. But it was thereafter included in the industrial zone, keeping out the panchayat. We were not even consulted,” he alleged while also emphasising that despite being ‘cheated’ the panchayat supported the waste treatment plant.
Lobo has an answer to this allegation. He maintained that the land acquired was for a specific purpose, which was setting up the garbage treatment plant. The status of the land was indeed changed thereafter to an industrial area as it was for managing waste. “The place had heaps of garbage in the past but none bothered to bring out a solution,” he rued.
Both Fernandes and Sequeira claim that the only work done by the BJP was road widening. The constituency will this time see a 3-way fight as of now with AAP coming into the poll fray. The party has fielded activist Godwin Fernandes. MGP and GSM are yet to decide on fielding candidates in Calangute.
The constituency where maximum shacks are set up has some problems. The shack operators are not too happy with the govt’s attitude of delaying shack licences while they also demand a uniform shack policy with a single window clearance.
“We understand that all these demands are under the domain of Tourism Department but for local businessmen in Calangute, basic facilities should be taken care of. This coastal belt gets more tourists than any other place,” traditional shack operator William Fernandes said.
They are reeling under loss owing to demonetisation and hope for some relief. “Whoever comes to power in this election should ensure that our requirements are not sidelined. Every tourist season we lose some share of business and this year, it was more because of demonetisation. We hope our business thrives as it was in the recent past,” Candolim beach side restaurant owner Ganesh said.
