Displaying zeal and ‘public Initiative’ locals from Chicolna-Bogmalo village inaugurated the much-needed toilet and changing room facility at Bogmalo beach after State government’s tourism department failed to do so for a long time.
Locals say they had raised their concerns over the pending inauguration of toilet facility at Bogmalo beach, as the same had become a show piece, as people were unable to use the facility before it was inaugurated.
Seeing no option, locals, along with local Panch members from the Chicolna-Bogmalo panchayat, got together and inaugurated the facility on Tuesday.
“We were literally waiting for over six months hoping the government would inaugurate this much-needed toilet and changing room facility on a priority basis. However, we were wrong as the same could not be inaugurated due to pending approval from CRZ authorities and this new facility was kept locked and unused, leaving tourists and other locals visiting the beach to suffer silently,” a Panch member from Chicolna-Bogmalo panchayat said under condition of anonymity. He said they had also made repeated request to the concerned department to throw open the facility but as no one paid heed to the requests such a step was taken.
“The footfall for tourism is much higher in Bogmalo as this the only good beach in the entire Mormugao taluka. This toilet and changing room facility was the first such facility built by tourism department here. The facility should have been thrown open until now as day by day public visiting the beach were getting frustrated and disappointed,” another Bogmalo local said.
Meanwhile, refusing to make any official comment on the unofficial inauguration of toilet cum changing room facility by the locals, the Chicolna-Bogmalo Panchayat officials claimed that they are very much aware of the informal inauguration and they too support the act as the facility was much needed for the people visiting the beach.
