lPlan for commercial project submitted to CMC lProject kept on hold as local MLA is accused of not taking councillors into confidence lMLA says Civic body obstructs development lCrematorium project too shelved
TEAM HERALD
teamherald@herald-goa.com
MARGAO: Political rivalry between Cuncolim BJP MLA Rajan Naik and the Congress-affiliated Cuncolim Municipal Council seemed to have grounded the ambitious Rs 3 crore commercial project proposed in the Cuncolim market.
While the Goa State Urban Development Agency (GSUDA) had prepared and submitted a plan of the commercial complex to the Cuncolim Municipal Council, the Cuncolim Civic body has resolved to keep the proposal on hold for the moment.
Cuncolim Municipal Chairperson Devendra Desai said the commercial complex project has been kept on hold by the Civic body after councillors maintained that the Cuncolim MLA was not taking the council into confidence. On the other hand, MLA Rajan Naik lamented that the Cuncolim Civic body has come in the way of the implementation of the commercial project, which he said, would have benefited the people in a big way.
“We had planned to shift the government offices in the town on one of the floors of the ground plus two storey commercial building. The complex would have benefited the Civic body since it would have given them handsome revenue,” Rajan said.
He said the government is now exploring the possibility of going ahead with the project on the acquired land even if the Civic body fails to pass a resolution in favour of the project.
The CMC Chairperson, Devendra, on the other hand, said that some of the councillors were of the opinion that the Civic body is never taken into confidence and that GUSDA only wants the Municipality to pass a resolution and despatch the same to the agency for implementation.
Incidentally, the chairperson said the commercial complex project was approved by the previous Council during the tenure of the former urban development minister and Cuncolim MLA Joaquim Alemao.
Meanwhile, it is learnt that though GSUDA had proposed to build a crematorium at Demani ward, the same has also not found favour with the Civic body. Sources said both the commercial project and the crematorium project have been kept on hold by the Civic body for the moment.
