Marcaim Village: An industrial hub

The Village of Marcaim named for Marcaim Constituency is famous for tilted headed Goddess Navdurga, water bodies and industrial estate. Besides, there is primary health centre, educational institutions in this one of the peaceful villages in Ponda Taluka.

However, there are issues aplenty, many locals are unemployed despite of industrial estate, need improvement of health facilities at PHC. Large number of migrants residing in the industrial estate in an unhygienic condition has also made the locals to worry and many times they have gheraoed the Goa Industrial Development Corporation and health officials over the issue. 

According to Premanand Shirodkar, president of Marcaim Nagrik Kruti Samithi, the major problem faced by the locals is that they are not getting jobs in Marcaim Industrial Estate for which the locals had sacrificed their land. More than 80 per cent job holders are the migrants. We want 80 per cent job reservation for the locals.  Even the management of many companies are not ready to hire vehicles of the locals for transportation of goods, workers which pains them despite their efforts and meetings with the stakeholders of the industries. 

He said, “We are frequently raising this unemployment issue in gram sabha and also demanding a meeting with the IDC officials but nobody is bothered about our problems. We would have no option then to come on road and stage major agitation to give justice to the locals.”

Since past four years, the village witnessed tussle between the Mahajans and the locals over idol replacement of Goddess Navdurga Temple. This issue almost attracted the attention of all the Goans.  The issue went to Court and matter is still sub judice. The Mahajans and Temple Committee were in favour of replacement of old idol in the temple claiming that there are some cracks appearing on the idol while the villagers view was that the idol can be restored to original and there was no need to change. 

The villagers also claimed ownership over the idol. Thus there was agitation called “Amchi Murthi Amka Zaay”. Currently, the issue is sub judice. The Court had given a stay to idol replacement till the matter is disposed off.  

Politically, Marcaim Constituency having six panchayats namely Marcaim, Bandora, Kundaim, Talavlim, Kavlem and Durbhat Agapur had remained the fortress of Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) except in 1994 election when first time Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Shripad Naik won the seat due to MGP alliance with the BJP. 

Congress had never won the seat from Marcaim. Since about five decades it is said that the voters of Marcaim are strong believers and supporters of MGP and that even if stone is selected by MGP to contest it will win the election. Since past two decades MGP Leader Sudin Dhavalikar had proved that, who had won in the constituency by record votes margin. 

During his tenure, he worked for the development of the constituency and many youth are employed in the government departments. Prior to Sudin Dhavalikar, former Marcaim MLA Ravi Naik who was elected on MGP ticket and later become chief minister had also contributed lot to the development of Marcaim Constituency. Ravi Naik is currently Congress MLA of Ponda Constituency. 

According to the locals, they need improvement of health center. Due to lack of facilities they are often referred to Goa Medical College and Hospital. For the villagers, there is huge ground near industrial estate and local MLA Sudin Dhavalikar had proposed its upgradation with support of State government. 

The Marcaim-Cortalim Ferry Service is perhaps longest route in State having around 1.5 km long distance. People travelling on this route has been demanding bridge since past many decades which is not fulfilled yet due to technical and various reasons. It is risky route and ferry often gets drifted away creating fear in the minds of passengers. Nobody had forgotten the incident of canoe tragedy, 40 years ago, when around 30 people met watery grave after the canoe overturned.

The passengers travelling on this route are demanding bridge so that it would save the one hour journey in travelling through ferry service which is also a risky one.  According to some locals, the State government had once shown interest to construct the bridge.

Many youth from Ponda  and similarly from Mormagoa Taluka uses Marcaim-Cortalim ferry service to travel both ways as there are industries in Marcaim, Kundaim, Bethora, Usgao towards Ponda side while Verna and other Industries at other end. 

According to Namdev Naik, the major problem in Marcaim is that most of the locals have no land of their own. Due to this, the locals are facing shortage of land to extend their existing houses.  As a result, people living in joint family suffer and has to accommodate in little spaces in their house. But there is vast Comunidade land out of which around four lakh is given to the villagers.

Naik said, “In Marcaim there exist plenty of Comunidade land and government should use this land for housing projects or making plots to be sold to the locals at reasonable rates so as to solve the housing problem.”

Some 25 years ago, the government had planned to provide 400 plots to the locals from Comunidade land. However, the scheme is pending. 

Rajesh Naik, secretary of Marcaim Nagrik Kruti Samithi, along with the locals said, “On Sunday, a team of locals, IDC officials and PHC doctors inspected the polluting four steel plants having workers who are staying illegally in the premises.” 

He said that there are at least four steel companies and all of them had illegally provided around 40 to 60 residential rooms in their factory premises and almost around 600 workers are staying with their family illegally in industrial estate which has almost turned into colony of workers. 

He said, “All this residential rooms have no proper sanitation facilities causing major pollution. Further release sewage in the open and some defecate on the surrounding land which is a source of spring water to the locals.

There is vast khazan land in Marcaim on which around 375 farmers depend for livelihood. They are demanding machinery for ploughing and harvesting which could support them in carrying out traditional paddy cultivation. The farmers said, “If the government provide them machinery free of cost then it would be a great relief.”