MARGAO: The Shadow Council for Margao held a symbolic protest on Wednesday by sowing vegetable seeds in the municipal garden opposite the court in old market to highlight its neglect by the municipality.
Shadow Council Convener Savio Coutinho stated that the garden in question was in the past very well maintained with a lot of greenery especially several varieties of flowering plants.
Coutinho further informed that the municipal workers maintaining the garden would often complain that due to lack of proper fencing, animals and humans would destroy, damage or steal the plants.
Hence, he said, through MPLAD fund, a gated compound wall was provided. Very unfortunate, he said, the Council has stopped all gardening activity in this place thereafter, rendering the very purpose of construction of the compound wall as a waste of public funds.
Coutinho demanded that the MMC either restore the garden back to its past glory or accept failure and hand over the same to the SCM for maintenance.
He further opined that the Council may also consider converting the place into a parking lot for 2-wheelers in view of the severe lack of parking space for litigants and advocates visiting the court.
SCM member Laurel Abranches criticized the Council for the “shabby” state the once beautiful garden was in. He pointed out to broken alcohol bottles that reveal that the place is used for anti-social activities. Even the sole streetlight is non-functional and hanging dangerously.
Hoping for due attention, the Shadow Council appealed to the Deputy Chief Minister and Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardessai to pull up the Council for its neglect towards the garden.
Vegetable seeds of different variety like Bhendi, Pumpkin, Tambdi Bhaji, bottlegourd, etc were sown by Savio Coutinho, Radha Kavlekar, John Gonsalves, Laurel Abranches, Dominic Coutinho, Edward Fernandes, and others.
