The step-motherly treatment given by the BJP government is allegedly keeping Quepem underdeveloped say Quepemkars. Quepem has been represented for the last four terms by Congress MLA Chandrakant Kavalekar who has been recently appointed as the leader of the Opposition in Goa.
With the BJP regaining power, Quepemkars now fear that development might only be a dream waiting to be fulfilled.
Quepem Constituency, which has one Municipal Council and six Panchayat bodies, remained underdeveloped since Goa’s liberation. It is not that this Constituency was in the Opposition from its existence. During the past BJP government Prakash Shankar Velip was an education minister while Chandrakant Kavalekar Congress was ruling for two terms. Despite this Quepem remained neglected, especially the rural areas.
Some areas in Quepem even today face problem of drinking water. Many Panchayat areas still depend on the Natural springs and Rivers for drinking water. In Barcem, where the Dhangar (Gavli) population resides, people have to walk more than six kms to get the drinking water. Some years back government has constructed bore wells but for last few years these bore wells are rusted and get dirty water.
Seven years passed since the Quepem Health Centre project is completed but government did not find time to upgrade the Quepem Health Centre into the Primary Health Centre. It was Kavlekar’s dream to start a 15-beaded Hospital in Quepem for the benefit of Quepemkars but this dream of Babu remained dream only.
