Assolna — wealthy but underdeveloped

Once upon a time Village Assolna, which is situated on the bank of River Sal, was known as the “Oslem Nam” means Nothing like this. This Historical Village is known after great Socialist reformer and Freedom Fighter Dr Julio Menezes who was instrumental to call Socialist reformer Dr Ram Manohar Lohia to Goa. A village which was once upon a time known for its fertile agricultural land and for salt pans and also for tasty fresh water fish of River Sal.

This Historical Village which had contributed lots for Goa’s liberation movement and given the State many intellectuals, and is economically wealthy, is crying for development and waiting for modern infrastructural projects.

Assolna Fish Market is a major fish market in South after Margao. Not only villagers but fish lovers from surrounding places like Cuncolim, Chinchinim, Balli, Fatorpa, Quepem and even from Margao and Canacona come to Assolna to buy tasty fish specially the fresh water and salt pans fish. More than 50 fisherwomen come to sell the fish in Assolna Market but unfortunately Assolna does not have a proper fish market to allow these fish vendors for their business.

Just below the Assolna Village panchayat office all these fish vendors are accommodated. Many are seating on the road side and selling fish. Vendors as well as the fish lovers are putting their life at risk for the love of fish. It’s a shame  Assolna’s political representatives failed to built a well equipped fish and vegetable market in Assolna, says sources. 

Locals are blaming present and past MLAs who have failed to meet the demands of locals. What can we expect from our MLAs who, despite being part of government, failed to construct a market project? On the Name of Market there is just a small shed, only few fish vendors use it, majority of fish vendors are seating on the road side putting their life at risk. There is no proper sanitation facilities at this market which gives ugly and stinking face to the village market” said M. Almeida a local resident.

In the past local representatives had made efforts to shift the market but due to non-availability of land the dream project remained in cold storage.

Sarpanch of Assolna Village panchayat Xavier Almeida told Herald that it is difficult to get proper land for market project. Panchayat had identified some places to construct a market project but there are other objections from locals hence the market project construction has become a distance dream.” “It’s not possible to shift market so we have decided to shift the panchayat Ghar in another place which will resolve this issue,” Sarpanch Almeida added. Almeida informed Herald that Education Department had handed over about eight hundred sq mts of land to panchayat to construct the panchayat ghar. 

Panchayat had already got the permission from government for the Construction of New Panchayat Ghar. Under GSIDC Din Dayal Scheme government has sanctioned 1.2 Crores funds to Construct Panchayat Ghar project. Project is in the stage of tendering; once the tender notice is published project will get kick off told Sarpanch Almeida.

It’s unfortunate that vegetable vendors and other vendors forced to use the historical Lohia Chauk to sell their goods. Assolna people are waiting for well equipped market project which can accommodate all vendors and at the same time which will keep the beauty of village.

One good thing the village panchayat has done is collection of door to door dry garbage. Panchayat collects plastic and other dry garbage and they store at a garbage centre. Government agencies are deposing this garbage. Sarpanch Xavier Almeida told Herald that some miscreant shop owners, small and big Hoteliers and fast food stalls dump their wet garbage on the Boarders of Assolna-Cuncolim Road and also on the Assolna-Chinchinim Road and Assolna-Velim Road. Panchayat is trying to catch these miscreants. Recently Sarpanch Xavier Almeida along with some villagers had caught one garbage tempo red handed who was dumping garbage on the road side. Panchayat started issuing challans to those who dump garbage on the road side

Panchayat has failed to implement Swachch Bharat Mission in the Village. There is still open defecation in many wards. Some villagers had rented their houses for migrants but these house owners have not constructed toilets because of which open defecation is going on almost in every ward, Panchayat has not done anything to curb this problem. They have not even done a survey of wards and have not identified the open defecation spots. Locals are expecting panchayat to act tough on the open defecation issue said a villager.

Besides this there are many other issues which are haunting panchayat body. There is issue of illegal Gaddas, issue of restaurants on the river side, issue of development projects. Local body along with the local MLA must try to find out the solution, say sources. 

Present Panchayat Body, under the leadership of Sarpanch Xavier Almeida, is striving hard to put things right. Panchayat has proposed to install CCTV cameras from Assolna-Margao Bridge to Assolna-Cavelossim bridge. They have also proposed for the development of children park. Panchayat is entirely depending on the House tax and other taxes hence they find it difficult to get matching grants for development. Locals feel that because the Velim Constituency has the opposition MLA the government must not give step motherly treatment. A village, which is wealthy, remains underdeveloped because of the lethargic attitude of local representative as well as because of the step motherly treatment of Government.