I would like to highlight the plight of Diwadkars through citizen Herald to Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant, fifth-time elect North Goa Member of Parliament Shripad Naik, who is also the neighbour of Divar Island; Sarpanchas of Sao Matias and Goltim-Navelim-Piedade Village Panchayats, that the islanders have been facing ferry breakdown almost once or twice a week on Divar-Old Goa and Divar-Sao Pedro routes, where there are four ferries plying, reason best known to the River Navigation Department (RND) staff working.
When there is a breakdown, the Diwadkars have to adjust with only one ferry on each route, for which the islanders specially, who are having four wheelers vehicles, have to wait in an queue for long hours to cross the island to go for work, cause it gets full with two wheelers only. This is happening for the last few months.
As there is no alternative for the Islanders to move out of the island, the school and college students also suffer by reaching late to schools or colleges.
Because of the frequent ferry breakdown, I along with my few friends had taken up a signature campaign for the bridge in 2014, to connect the island to mainland and had submitted a memorandum to former chief minister late Manohar Parrikar, as ours is the only island in Goa without a bridge and no other connectivity to move out especially if need arises in times of an emergency. We have a WhatsApp group of Diwadkars called “United Divar”, wherein we help, inform each other or convey message whenever there is a ferry breakdown or has the service restarted on these routes.
But my question to River Navigation Minister, River Navigation Department Officer In-Charge, staff on duty, what is the permanent solution for the breakdowns every now and then? Why are we deprived of our fundamental right to have good service to move out of our island and come back home while we are earning our daily bread and butter?
Will the Minister concern, Officer In-charge take up the matter seriously in the public interest as soon as possible and provide us good services, side-by-side keeping one ferry stand by, on both the routes, so that it can be replaced immediately, instead of getting it from Beltim Dockyard.
Secondly, by asking the staff on duty to report when and why ferry is broken down, or by having a good technical staff on duty, which can handle and repair the ferry by themself, whenever there is a breakdown.
I appeal to all the Diwadkars to come forward to resolve the issue by calling on the sarpanchas of both the panchayats and urging them to pass a resolution to submit a memorandum to the Chief Minister, RND Minister and North Goa MP so that our ferry issue is solved once and for all.
