Issues that constituents of St Cruz constituency have been complaining about for decades, did not see any resolution in the years that Atanasio (Babush) Monserrate has been representing the constituency.
With the expelled Congress MLA, who had turned around his Taleigao constituency having now set eyes on Panjim, St Cruz saw little change and remained much the way it was five years ago.
With Monserrate out of the race in St Cruz, there are at least half a dozen aspirants in the constituency, including former MLA Victoria Fernandes’ son Rudolph Fernandes eyeing the Congress ticket, another former MLA Victor Gonsalves who recently joined the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), former St Cruz sarpanch Antonio Fernandes, former Merces Panch Prakash Naik, and a few others, among them new faces like Prathamesh Naik and popular in the panchayat Walter D’Sousa.
St Cruz is waiting for the right candidate to take up development works that have remained unattended despite the constituency neighbouring the capital. There are multiple issues and each panchayat has its own but garbage, narrow roads, electricity, market are needs all feel.
“People of St Cruz elected the last MLA with hope and in view of his work in his home constituency. Similar development has not been seen here. The new MLA should take care of the basic needs and development of the constituency,” said Andrea Pereira, a local activist from St Cruz.
The Indiranagar slums at Chimbel have been neglected by the authorities and there is a complete breakdown of government machinery when it comes to health issues in the area. Garbage dumps are visible at the entrance of the village, waste water and sewage have been diverted through the storm water drains to open fields.
“This constituency is one of the most undeveloped of constituencies in the last three decades. There is no proper market, playground, post office, health centre, village library,” Sitakant Redkar told Herald.
“Every facility which is being provided by the government is lacking in this constituency which is at the distance of few meters from the State’s capital and State’s bureaucracy headquarters,” said Arturo D’Souza, a local activist.
