Footpaths are built for people to walk and not to do business on it. The migrants who are doing business on footpaths and on the road sides disturb smooth flow of traffic and create havoc for pedestrians.

We don’t want what happened in Mumbai, all footpaths are occupied by migrants and they put up “zopadpatties” and sleep, cook, and defecate on the footpaths.

Goans don’t want the same thing to happen here. Benaulim and Colva locals are concerned about the increasing number of migrants. Our former chief minister late Manohar Parrikar was concerned about the flow of migrants into the State and apprehended the loss of Goan identity. There is a need to freeze the Goan population at 15 lakh.

When late Parrikar was addressing a gathering at Chinchinim at a function as chief guest organised by Chinchinim Citizens Committee dated September 2, 2012, he said that migrants cannot be at the cost of the local people, once the migrants enter the State they put up huts in some places, create dirt and encroach Comunidade properties.

“We should work out policies so that this flow doesn’t grow otherwise there will be no Goenkarponn, no susegad Goa, no fish curry. All this will disappear,” the late Parrikar had remarked.

We have to keep our specialty and should not lose our identity. Now it’s time for Goans to stand up and to say enough is enough.