ANIL SHANKHWALKAR
ALDONA
With a market complex, hospital, telephone exchange and other public facilities, Aldona village has largely been self-sufficient. One essential service, a petrol pump, has eluded Aldona so far, but that could change in the near future with the Hindustan Petroleum (HP) proposing to set up a petrol pump in the village.
HP has proposed to appoint a dealer for a Retail Outlet dealership in Aldona in the open category. While the proposed site is undecided, news of the proposed petrol pump has spread thick and fast across the village and on online social networks, with residents and netizens hailing from Aldona speculating on the implications of the project.
Those who support a petrol pump cite the practical benefits for Aldona.
“I hope someone decides to invest in a petrol pump at Aldona. I know of many vehicle owners who go to Mapusa only to tank up. The alternative is to buy petrol from illegal dealers, which is much costlier and possibly adulterated,” says Community Pharmacist Savio Figueiredo, on the Aldona-net online forum.
“I feel there are places in Corjuem where the pump could be located. Ideally, however, it would be great if the pump could be located off the proposed bypass as it would away from habitation and on the road, though the use of agricultural land would be contentious,” Figueiredo added.
When contacted, Aldona Panch Freddy Pontes said a petrol pump “is the need of the hour in Aldona.” “The two closest pumps are in Bicholim, Porvorim and Mapusa, making it inconvenient for people staying in Aldona,” said Pontes.
A senior citizen, John Vaz, informed Herald that a petrol pump would address the needs of growing vehicles in Aldona or passing through the village.
“Aldona is a well developed village and with new two bridges and we urgently need a petrol pump for these vehicles. There was a proposal to build a petrol pump at Moira and we were anxiously waiting it, but the project fizzled out. There was a long-pending issue of a petrol pump in Aldona, but it could not come due to some reasons. As a result, motorists have to travel all the way to Mapusa or Porvorim to fill fuel,” he said.
Some residents have, however, predicted possible opposition to the proposed petrol pump.
“The potential investor must also have the capacity, physical, mental, emotional and financial, to survive the opposition from neighbours to the setting up of a petrol pump,” says agriculture expert Miguel Braganza, on Aldona-net.
“Almost the entire stretches of roads from Aldona to Pomburpa and Nachinola are inhabited residential areas and I do not believe people will go to Calvim or Corjuem to fill petrol when they have multiple options in Mapusa, Porvorim and Panjim,” Braganza adds.
Responding to Braganza, Cecil Pinto remarked on Aldona-net: “In Saligao, there are two new petrol pumps within a few hundred meters of each other. Locals objected. Better sense prevailed. I think we should have a similar approach. Many people blindly oppose any ‘development’, sometimes out of ignorance, sometimes out of being misguided by ‘interested parties’ and sometimes, out of a false sense of self-importance.”
Social activist Melwyn Fernandes told Herald that the proposed petrol pump “will benefit Aldonkars by saving on fuel and time, provided it does not cause disturbance to the environment.”
Those who voice concern over the proposed petrol pump in Aldona claim that such a project is not needed for Aldona.
“Is there really a need for a petrol pump? Everybody who has a vehicle goes to Panjim or Mapusa often enough to get the necessary fuel. So why bother to have the nuisance of a petrol pump in the village? Very, very bad idea, like most of so-called ‘development’,” opined writer, Vidyadhar Gadgil on Aldona-net.
“I feel that no such clear need exists. Why create a mess in the village (and, make no mistake, a petrol pump is exactly that) when it’s not needed,” asks Gadgil.
