JULIO D’SILVA &
PRATIK PARAB
Mystery continues to shroud the proposed educational hub initiated by the government for Margao and its future appears uncertain. The much-vaunted educational hub has been proposed by the government at a sprawling tract of land, admeasuring over one lakh square metres in Davorlim-Dicarpale village panchayatlies in limbo.
The project envisaged on lines of Cujira, Panjim lies in a state of limbo and authorities seem to have adopted a go-slow approach.
Incidentally, there are conflicting reports about the exact area acquired by the government and officials seem tight-lipped or ignorant about the exact area. For some time now different figures have been floated.
While the Education Director claims that 1.35 lakh square metres of land has been acquired, there have been reports in the media which puts the figure to just 1.20 lakh square metres of land that has been acquired. On the other hand, the Davorlim-Dicarpale village panchayat has been informed that only 1.15 lakh square metres of land has been acquired.
Meanwhile, the villagers have been opposing the projects for various reasons. Many feel that the proposed educational hub was not possible because the village lacked adequate infrastructure to handle its consequences. Besides, having the hub in their village would increase the traffic movement, which in turn could endanger their lives. The project would also lead to pollution and dirt, besides the obvious noise pollution the villagers would have to encounter.
After much debate and discussion the villagers were of the opinion that the government would have to meet their list of demands, besides ensuring that proper infrastructure would be provided, including transportation facilities to and from the educational hub without disturbing the normal life of the villagers.
Among the demands put forth by the villagers before the government was the granting of 20,000 square metres land to construct a chapel, 5,000 square metres of land to construct a cattle shed and provide burial ground for dead animals and 5,000 square metres of land to construct a shed to store collected dry waste.
While the educational hub at Cujira has already been commissioned and has subsequently also exposed many chinks and flaws in its planning and implementation, it is only hoped that the authorities will learn their lesson and not repeat the same mistakes at Davorlim-Dicarpale.
The incident at Davorlim at 7.30 am where the little students Lavina & Priti Pawar were crushed on the side wall by a truck still brings shivers and goose bumps to people of Margao. “God forbid if the accident had turned uglier no authority could face themselves for the ignorance, which led to the same” said a highly-concerned parent Meghan Naik from Margao.
However, several students still make their way through the narrow roads and cross the dangerous highway crossing leading to their schools each and every day. And time and again such accidents have exposed the dangers students of Margao face during the extreme rush hours of the day.
The dangerous condition to which the school students are exposed daily has made it mandatory for having a school complex like Bambolim and also to have proper well-devised transport system for students. Amidst the chaos on the roads, the fast buses, huge trucks and thousands of vehicles, students of the several schools in Margao are in a dire need for a centralised facility for schools.
It has been learnt from a city school that they have been asking students to call their parents and go back home, if they were delayed by even 10 seconds to reach school in the morning.
However, getting to schools in cities is no longer a child’s play as even parents have a harrowing time trying to get their wards to school, due to the ever-increasing traffic, lack of parking facilities other issues that frustrates them each day.
Moreover, since Margao town has reached a saturation point, many of these schools now have no room for expansion of facilities.
Margao has over 10 major schools with over 1000 students each and several other schools, with a smaller student strength, who face problems of traffic blocks, congfestio and confusion every single day.
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Davorlim-Dicarpale panchayat in the dark
Whatever may be the reasons the government may put forth, but the members of the panchayat, specially the sarpanches are oblivious to the fact that the hub has been planned and land has been allocated.
Davorlim-Dicarpale Sarpanch Flancy Gomes claimed to have no knowledge about the issue, as she has assumed charge only recently.
“This matter was not even discussed at the last gram sabha that I chaired and hence I do not know anything about it,” she clarified.
However, to put things into perspective it may be noted that the topic was hotly discussed at the gram sabha held on March 5 this year, where the villagers strongly opposed the proposed educational hub in their village.
In fact, the then Sarpanch Tulshidas Dessai candidly admitted that the panchayat was not taken into confidence about the matter.
“About six months back, we were invited for an inspection and that was when we realised that an educational hub is proposed in our village,” Dessai said at the gram sabha.
