Led by social worker Jerry D’Souza and Chillaya Sawant, the youth have already started a signature campaign to muster support for the bridge, which will be later handed over to Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar in the form of a memorandum.
Speaking to media, Jerry D’Souza said successive governments have failed to realize the dreams of the Divadkars of having a bridge for the island.
“Some people are not aware of the difficulties faced by the people in the absence of a bridge and hence we have gathered to send a clear message to the authorities that Divadkars are in favour of a bridge,” D’Souza added while urging local MLA Pandurang Madkaikar, Parrikar and MP Shripad Naik to listen to their grievances and fulfil the long-pending demand for a bridge.
“When the chief minister built bridges in several parts of the State, he stated that he did so to alleviate the sufferings of the people,” D’Souza said and urged Parrikar to address their grievances also.
Speaking on the occasion, Chillaya Sawant highlighted the difficulties faced by the students and office-goers in reaching their schools and offices on time. “Even a slight delay or breakdown of ferry services results in the students and office-goers reaching late,” Sawant said “Today’s youth should get equal opportunity to compete, but the youth from Divar are denied this equal opportunity as they lose their precious time in travelling to the mainland,” said Sawant and added that in cases of medical emergency people have died as they could not reach the GMC or other medical centres on the mainland on time.
A local from Vanxim, Francis Furtado, in fact, highlighted the difficulties faced by Vanxim locals, particularly students, in travelling to the mainland. “We have to cross two ferries, one to get to Divar island and then from Divar to reach the mainland,” Furtado said while stating that it is high time that the government does away with the backward life the people are being forced to live.
“This can be done by building a bridge to connect Divar to the mainland,” Furtado opined and made a passionate plea to Parrikar to realize the dreams of the locals.
Meanwhile, Cumbarjua’s MGP president Narayan Verlekar extended support of his party to the genuine cause of the Divar locals. “I will convey the sentiments of the Divadkars to Transport Minister Sudin Dhavalikar and urge him to apprise Parrikar on the issue, so that this genuine demand of the locals is fulfilled,” Verlekar said.
