DHIRAJ HARMALKAR
dhiraj@hearld-goa.com
VASCO: The dream project of late Matanhy Saldanha-Cansaulim market complex is yet to see the daylight following unavailability of land to house the project. The vendors in the old fish market are deprived of basic necessities like a washroom or a provision of drinking water, for years.
“If a visitor or a vendor in this market needs to use the washroom then there is no facility available at the site,” regretted a senior citizen named Shantaram Dhumaskar.
He also added that
“There were individuals from Cansaulim who went on to become MLAs and ministers, but were not able to build a market complex for the village,” Shantaram said.
A women fish vendor added that there is no proper electricity either. “There are women who are selling fish and other commodities in this shed and they face problems due to lack of washrooms,” said the vendor.
Another fish vendor said “Though there are some drawbacks of the present old fish market, the present location where the old market is existing is prime location for their business,” she added.
Meanwhile, when contacted Cansaulim sarpanch Ferwin Saldanha, said, “When Matanhy Saldanha became a minister, he had sent a plan to the village panchayat to have a market complex, which would have vegetable, fish, meat vendors along with the ice storage facility. It was supposed to be a big project, but after his demise it remained unexecuted. Later, Alina Saldanha became MLA, and she also pursued the plan, but till date it has not materialised.”
Ferwin further said that it could be built by Goa State Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (GSIDC) and other govt agencies as panchayat doesn’t have enough funds to build it. Secondly the land where the new complex was supposed to come belongs to private owners. “We want that project to come to Cansaulim for its beautification and other benefits. We have sent the resolution about this market complex project, but it is up to the local MLA and the government to follow it up at their level,” said the sarpanch.
Later, Cortalim MLA Alina Saldanha, who was continuously following up this project, said that “Initially all were interested in giving their land for the project, but later few among them have dropped the idea of giving their land, and since not all landowners were ready to give land, the project never came up.”
She further added that she also tried to identify land elsewhere for this market complex project, but couldn’t manage to find it.
Cansaulim panchayat had proposed to construct a market complex under Goa State Infrastructure Development Corporation, Panjim in 2013 and GSIDC had also inspected the site.
