With the Assembly complex and a growing number government department head offices, at least 15 banks and at least eight automobile showrooms, all located atop the plateau, Porvorim has rapidly expanded in size and prominence.
However, Porvorim has been confronted with many obstacles in its efforts to set up two key projects for its residents and visitors: a new market complex and a playground.
The playground, which was initially earmarked for public use, has now been taken over by the Goa Cricket Academy (GCA).
According to sources, the Goa Housing and Finance Corporation (GHFC) had taken the initiative to develop a full-fledged playground near the District Institute of Education and Training (DIET) complex. This open space belonged to the education department and the government decided to develop a playground for the locals. Accordingly, the Education department handed over 10,000 sq mtrs of land to the GHFC, of which 7,920 sq mtrs was utilized by the GHFC for the playground.
After spending around Rs 15 lakh to develop the playground, the GHFC was disbanded and it could not develop the ground further. The project was later handed over to the Info Tech Corporation of Goa.
Dayanand Narvekar, who was the IT minister at the time as well as then president of Goa Cricket Association, managed to take over the ground for the Goa Cricket Academy (GCA). The cricket academy was allegedly constructed without the approval of TCP and the local panchayat. Incidentally, neither the panchayat nor any association raised objection to the cricket academy, which currently is in possession of the ground.
While the people have been deprived of a public playground which had been originally allotted to them, the new market complex is another project which has eluded the locals since the past many years.
The existing market complex in the Housing Board colony was in bad shape and a portion of the complex had collapsed in August 2012. The weakened structure was on the verge of collapse and existing shopkeepers had pleaded with the GHB to build a new market complex.
“GHB Chairman and Aldona MLA Glenn Ticlo convened a meeting with shopkeepers in his office and explained in detail about the new market complex and answered all our queries,” said S Mahambre, one shopkeeper in the old market complex.
After a prolonged delay in the approval of plans and permissions, the GHB finally received approval from the TCP and the local panchayat to construct a new market complex.
According to plans, the GHB was to construct a new market complex in the open space near the Maruti temple, which is located near the old market complex. Once the new market complex was set up, the GHB had decided to demolish the old market complex and utilise the space for other public utility projects.
When the GHB began construction work of the new market complex, a group of residents of Porvorim gathered at the site on April 29 to protest against the utilisation of the open space for the market. Instead, they wanted the open space to be developed into a playground.
Bowing to the demands of the agitating locals, work on the project was stopped three weeks ago and since then, there has been no resumption of work.
Speaking to Herald, Ticlo felt that some people had unnecessarily created problems in the project, especially since a playground is also being developed by the GHB.
“The market complex project was finalized after taking the locals and Porvorim MLA Rohan Khaunte into confidence. While the market complex will come up on around 8,000 sq mtrs, another 7,000 sq mtrs of land will be used for a playground and a jogger’s track, for which Rs 2 crore has been allotted,” said Ticlo.
“This is an ideal project, but some people have unnecessarily created problems and have stopped the work. I have apprised Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar about the issue and he has agreed to sort out the matter,” Ticlo added.
When contacted, Porvorim MLA Rohan Khaunte stated the market project had been finalized by the GHB and the matter has now been referred to the chief minister.
“I have also spoken to the chief minister in this regard and he has assured to convene a meeting with the stakeholders to take a decision in the matter,” said Khaunte.
