Fatorda municipality to be reality only after a thorough feasibility exercise: Digambar
Herald: What are thoughts on TCP Minister Vijai Sardesai’s idea of separate Fatorda municipality?
Digambar Kamat: If Vijai feels his constituency needs a separate municipality then it’s a good thing. A lot needs to fall in place for this to become a reality. Let him start the process until then we’re all in the Margao municipality. There needs to be a study of feasibility in terms of revenue, number of houses, taxes and all those aspects and only then a Fatorda municipality.
H: But would this decision weaken you politically?
DK: Fatorda was once part of Margao but today constituency wise it’s completely independent. And we both have 11 councillors each while three come from the Curtorim constituency, so if the break-up is of 11 wards each, I don’t see any worries.
H: There’s already a Fatorda police station coming up, a PDA in the pipeline and also you had the Market, collectorate, district hospital moved out of Margao and now all this may come under the Fatorda Municipality, could that point against you in Margao?
DK: There is no space in the city and to ease out the congestion as a CM or as a minister previously, I had to take all those projects on the outskirts of the city. Now they coming under Fatorda Municipality are irrelevant, no doubt they will generate some taxes and the revenue will go to that municipality if it ever comes up. In terms of police station, it was high time Fatorda got one to ease the number of complaints at the Margao police station and in fact that was a demand of Vijai for a long time. Ask me and I will say divide the jurisdiction and provide Navelim also a separate police station and meet Luizinho Faleiro’s demand. On the issue of PDAs, unlike governance related issues, PDAs go by planning area and if all the major coastal belt villages of Calangute and all come under the North Goa PDA and similarly in South Goa, the SGPDA looks after the interests and development of Margao city.
Coming back to your question, one can’t take away my contribution to the city and these infrastructure projects.
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Fatorda municipality will be a reality in a matter of time. It’ll never struggle for finances
HERALD: Why do you propose this new idea of a Fatorda Municipality and who will really benefit from the same?
VIJAi SARDESAI: Fatorda is way different from Margao and it’s difficult to be clubbed with Margao city. Though cosmopolitan, Fatorda has people from all sections. Margao which has no agriculture but Fatorda has many people still dependent of agriculture; three sects of Islam with three different mosques live harmoniously and carry out their religious activities from Fatorda and then there is the Christian and Hindu community also here. And to cater to each of these people separately, we need a Fatorda municipality.
H: But the question that remains unanswered is revenue for the proposed municipality.
VS: One thing I can assure you is that the municipality won’t struggle with finances. Municipality-run heritage walks, a Goan tinto at Fatorda, starting the cultural avenue along the Fatorda Ravindra Bhavan road are my priority, besides developing the Bus stand here. Also the SGPDA doesn’t have a mandate to run markets. The municipality can take over the market similar to how Margao municipality runs the new market. All this coupled with house tax will give the municipality the much needed revenue.
H: And how do you plan to set the ball rolling for the municipality?
VS: I just made the Fatorda police station a reality. Now it’s only a matter of time, the councillors, will pass a resolution at the MMC meeting, then we will move for cabinet nod and certain amendments and then you will see a Fatorda municipality soon.
