MARGAO: A ‘Janta Darbar’ organised by Goa Forward Party (GFP) at the Margao Municipal Council (MMC) Hall on Thursday drew a large crowd of citizens eager to voice their grievances. The public meeting turned into a platform for scrutinising the MMC’s handling of various citizen-centric civic issues, ranging from missing citizen files to the unaccounted Rs 17 lakh revenue from the Margao fair, as well as government apathy in resolving long-standing issues like flooding near the Western Bypass stretch or proposed government policy decisions deemed as anti-people.
Some attendees also raised concerns about the prioritisation of projects in Margao, questioning the push for an elevated ring road seemingly aimed at appeasing certain vote banks while crucial civic issues, such as the Comba rail over bridge vital for the student community, face delays. GFP President Vijai Sardesai, who listened to all the complaints, assured all citizens that their concerns would be addressed in the upcoming Assembly session. Incidentally, Ketan Kurtakar, the former BJP Margao Mandal General Secretary, who had resigned from the party the previous day, attended the meeting. Kurtarkar later criticised Margao MLA Digambar Kamat, emphasising the necessity of such public forums due to the unaddressed issues faced by town residents. Kurtarkar expressed shock at some of the unresolved grievances that were brought forward, including potential land grabbing.
Margao Congress leader Savio Coutinho was also present on the dais and listened to the grievances being raised.
Sardesai also touched upon the recent controversy surrounding the delayed permissions for the meeting and hit back at the claims made by MMC Chairperson Damodar Shirodkar, stressing that GFP had sought permission for the meeting well in advance, on June 28. He emphasised the MMC’s legacy of upholding democratic principles rather than yielding to political pressure and predicted that the present ruling council will collapse on its own soon. “The turnout at my Margao Janta Darbar speaks volumes about the government’s total paralysis,” said Sardesai after the meeting. “From denial of basic necessities to high-level corruption, land grabbing, misappropriation of public funds, goondaism, and incompetence have become the hallmark of this government. I will not only raise all their issues in the Assembly and hold the government accountable but also make this interaction with my fellow Goans a regular feature even after this Assembly session,” he added.
