TALEIGAO: Taleigao strongman and St Cruz MLA Atanasio (Babush) Monserrate is set to move to Panjim constituency to contest the coming Assembly polls leaving his home constituency in the hands of wife Jennifer who has already represented it for five years as an MLA, though not been seen to have actively taken up issues in the constituency.
With Monserrate eying Panjim, the people are left wondering whether he will be able to give the same amount of time to Taleigao or he will remain busy with Panjim.
Except for broad roads and tall buildings, Taleigao constituency still lacks the basic needs. The major issue in the constituency is of acute water shortage. Most of the residential apartments in Taleigao constituency including in Caranzalem, Miramar, Dona Paula are now used to supply of water through tankers.
Taleigao residents have often been protesting demanding proper supply of water and repair of roads, which is another area of concern in Taleiago. The internal roads need repairs and widening which has not been undertaken despite demands.
The constituency has approximately 26,000 voters, some of which are a floating population residing in apartments. The constituency has only one Panchayat and nine CCP wards.
Since 2002, Taleigao has been represented by Monserrate and his wife in the State assembly. The 2017 polls will see at least three candidates with Jennifer Monserrate in the fray, BJP’s probable candidate Dattaprasad Naik and AAP’s Cecile Rodrigues.
“Besides roads and water there is another major problem of contamination of sewage in the potable water supply due to the unplanned real estate growth in Taleigao. Sewage connectivity is Taleigao is still incomplete,” said Amresh Chodankar, a local.
Another resident Bony Fernandes also said that a major issue is due to the influx of migrants occupying flats in dozens of residential apartments. “CCP and the village panchayat have able to take care of garbage collection everyday but the entire infrastructure is lacking far behind compared to the overall population of the constituency,” Fernandes said.
There are no complaints about garbage collection in Taleigao but its treatment at Taleigao plateau is the issue, as garbage has piled up at the site.
Taleigao also needs a proper market complex, in the absence of which vendors are forced to sit beside the road causing a major problem for commuters.
As Taleigao is also known for the cultivation of vegetables, farmers are forced to sell their product on the road side.
