One constituency that has seen a rapid pace of development is Calangute. In the past four and half year the constituency has got new bridges, widened roads, a garbage treatment plant, public toilets for tourists, beautification of various circles, pavements and if one goes by finance officials, the government has spent almost Rs 1000 cr on development in this constituency.
However, will the development make the seat safe for BJP for incumbent MLA Michael Lobo to return? The weeks ahead will tell.
In the history of Calangute constituency only once has an MLA been re-elected and it has been Agnelo Fernandes in 2007 on a Congress ticket. This time around Lobo will face a stiff challenge from the Congress with Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), also in the fray.
The threat to Lobo is his friend turned foe and the strongman of Calangute, Joseph Sequeira, who had supported the MLA in 2012 to defeat Fernandes. However, Sequeira and Fernandes are both now vying for the Congress ticket and insiders say they have pledged support to whoever gets the Congress ticket. If this happens even Lobo’s pro development tag may not be enough to get him through
AAP has also thrown its hat into the ring fielding Godwin Fernandes, an Engineer, however the impact the party will make cannot be ascertained at the moment. But people don’t expect his role to go beyond splitting anti BJP votes
Issues
Facilities for tourists
Calangute has seen a rapid pace of development and to a certain extent the issues of frequent traffic jams etc has been sorted for now. Being the premier tourist destination of Goa, Calangute needs better facilities for tourists like more toilets, changing rooms etc.
Irregular and Unauthorised constructions
People are also against the number of unregularised constructions mushrooming throughout the constituency. Besides, the major issue is sorting out the problems between the tourist taxis and the rent-a-cab operators who are at loggerheads.
Garbage
There has been some progress on sorting out the garbage issue with the setting up of the plant at Saligao plateau. The panchayat has also made concrete efforts to collect garbage from the restaurants at night. Besides, additional trucks collect garbage from the source in other parts of the constituency.
Drugs & Prostitution
Calangute is completely steeped in this menace and continued raids resulting in the rescue of call girls and the arrest of pimps, the presence of some massage parlous, acting as fronts offering sexual services. Initially dance bars were raided and shut but people say they have mushroomed again. Similarly, there have been raids on drug peddlers but the scene is similar in north coastal belt, wherein Nigerians have been frequently arrested for involvement in drugs.
Residents, however, want a pimp-free Calangute, as they say these are a menace. “Pimps are seen luring tourists openly and police make no efforts to eradicate the menace. We do not want such tourism in Goa,” Wesley Fernandes said.
Acute water shortage
The other major problem in Calangute has been facing is water scarcity and people say they need water 24×7. “Considering the number of hotels and restaurants here the PWD has to increase the supply of water to 24×7 and people are suffering. At times the water comes for one hour,” said William Rodrigues a resident.
Another individual Sanket Shirodkar said that while sewage work has been undertaken, it is yet to be commissioned. “Sewage is a big problem. The hotels are openly letting out their sewage into gutters, which has to be looked into as it might lead to a major epidemic.”
