PONDA: Pondaites are delighted to have three MLAs of Ponda Taluka getting cabinet berth in Chief Minister Pramod Sawant led Government. Beside Ravi Naik, Govind Gaude and Subash Shirodkar who took oath as ministers, the Marcaim MLA Sudin Dhavlikar is also expected to get a berth.
People hold high hopes for Ponda taluka from the joint effort of these ministers. The expectations of Pondaites have increased manifolds as many of them feel Ponda fell behind in development work in past ten years.
Hanumant Naik a social worker at Durbhat Ponda said he is happy that so many ministers are their from Ponda in this term. He said along with other development works and roads hot mix carpeting, Pondaites want Ponda Sub-District Hospital to be upgraded into fully equipped hospital on lines of GMC.
Social activist Viraj Sapre said after ten years since Ponda Sub-District Hospital’s inauguration, people are entirely dependent on GMC for basic medical facilities. This hospital lacks CT scan, MRI machine and specialist doctors. Even for minor ailment, patients are transferred to GMC. Beside upgradation of the hospital, he said, parking is a major problem that haunts Ponda locals.
Vishal Fadte, another local, said parking spaces need to be created as people park vehicles in No Parking zones due to shortage of parking areas and are often subjected to fines by traffic police. The third main demand of Pondaites is to solve the major unemployment problem. Fadte and Sapre said there is need to bring more Industries to provide jobs to local youth at Marcaim, Bethora, Kundai, and Shiroda Industrial Estates.
Incase of Shiroda there is need to utilise KTC bus stand and also bypass road to decongest Shiroda Bazaar. Besides launching development work there is need for new Borim Bridge, bypass road to decongest village. At Priol people expect Ravindra Bhavan as it is land of artistes. At Marcaim the locals want jobs to locals in Marcaim Industries, besides comunidade land for housing purpose.
Ponda MLA Ravi Naik had promised to make it third district for benefit of common man and so people expect him to fulfill this promise as he has become minister. He was minister from 2007 to 2012. Last ten year Ponda MLAs did not get any cabinet berth.
The taluka locals want Ponda Sports Complex at Curti to be upgraded, besides good roads. At Khandepar the new four lane bridge is inaugurated three years ago but lacks approach road due to which Khandepar Junction has become accident prone, especially students are risking their lives at dangerous OPA junction while waiting for bus.
