The tussle over the ongoing work of the ‘beautification’ of Kranti Maidan does not seem to show any signs of abating. What started as an innocuous construction at a maidan – just the permission to lay pavers according to the Ponda Municipal Council – has morphed into the construction of 36 concrete pillars at the Centre, a fountain at the entrance and four lion statues on compound walls has brought out in the open once again, the clear divide among the political allies – the BJP and the MGP.
The construction has today snowballed into a major issue between the two alliance partners forcing the Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar himself to try and diffuse the tension. This followed the differences over the sopo issue.
Earlier, the Chief Minister blessed Ponda Municipal Council and the local MGP leadership has clashed over the issue of increased rates of sopo (sitting tax) for the market vendors had muddied the alliance waters in Ponda. they are still not clear though.
The issue even echoed in the Assembly with delegations even meeting the chief minister to try and sort out the matter.
After initially clearing the work of the Kranti Maidan “beautification: as it was called, the Ponda Municipal Council revoked its resolution on the development of Kranti Maidan, in what could on the surface be a tit-for-tat reaction after the MGP went after the PMC’s decision to raise the sopo.
Meanwhile, about 17 panchayats in Ponda taluka have taken a decision to support the beautification project at Kranti Maidan and have submitted a resolution to the effect to Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar.
According to PMC, the PWD has not submitted the plan of work and there is also no approval plan from the SGPDA and the ongoing work – which is proceeding at full speed – was not according to plans shown by the PWD. Hence, PMC revoked the earlier resolution and is waiting for SGPDA’s approval and then will take further decision.
The resolution was revoked after some Ganesh mandals and Christmas festival committees expressed fear that the development work will not allow them to celebrate their annual functions at the maidan.
But according to the PWD Minister Ramkrishna Sudin Dhavalikar, the plan was shown to the council and after the resolution passed last year, the plan was unveiled in the presence of the chief minister.
“It was shown by architect Sadhale at a public function at Kranti Maidan, Ponda,” he had told media.
According to him “The pillars installed at the Kranti Maidan will provide information about freedom fighters and martyrs in Goa. It was unfortunate to revoke the council resolution.”
After all the pressure, sources say that the beautification plan of the Kranti Maidan is to be changed and some pillars will be shifted to another place. According to the revised plan, more people will be accommodated during any programme held at Kranti Maidan.
The contractor Jagdish Bhat had told Herald that the construction work of the pillars will commence only after approval from the department concerned and PDA, according to the revised plan.
The issue has reached a sizzling point and has obviously taken political overtones as the contractor has lodged a police complaint against PMC for allegedly stopping the work.
Also the Ponda block MGP Anil Naik and supporters of Ponda MLA Lavoo Mamledar have supported the ongoing development work of Kranti Maidan at Ponda.
Naik has criticised the Ponda Municipal Council (PMC) and its chairperson for allegedly obstructing the contractor for carrying out the development of Kranti Maidan, which he claimed is ‘legal’.
Freedom fighters too have got into the act with the Freedom Fighters’ Association (FFA) Goa appealing to the Ponda Municipal Council (PMC) not to oppose the ongoing beautification work of Kranti Maidan, Ponda.
Very significantly, it was the Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar who laid the foundation stone for the work on December 18, 2013, in the presence of PWD Minister Sudin Dhavalikar, Ponda MLA Lavoo Mamledar, PMC Chairperson Radhika Naik, councillors and freedom fighters.
But the fight for political space has certainly shaken the foundation of this development.
