st Andre: Almost a year after incumbent BJP government announced its decision not to go ahead with proposed Marina project in Nauxim village, the people of St Andre constituency, are still apprehensive that the controversial issue might raise its ugly head post-Assembly elections.
The constituency also runs through various problems with residents blaming successive governments on not paying attention to their grievances and basic needs.
If you enjoyed reading this article, you can help support our journalism by adding OHeraldo as a preferred source.
Nauxim village backed by environmental activists vehemently opposed the marina project forcing the MLA Francis Silveira also to put his foot down. In the matter before the High Court of Bombay at Goa last February, the government said they are not going ahead with the project.
The constituency comprises seven village panchayats namely Curca- Bambolim- Talaulim, Sridao-Pale, Batim, Goa Velha (St Andre), Agassaim (St Lawrence), Neura and Azossim-Mandur. The total number of voters record at 21,378 out of whom female voters outnumber the male voters.
Beaches to Khazan land, the constituency is blessed with nature’s gift but the residents complain the nature is not being protected enough. Interestingly, St Andre is Goa’s second largest khazan land.
“The Zuari River water flows into the Khazan land making it uncultivable. The bundh breaks quite often. We need a concretised bundh. Secondly, there are mangroves growing in the paddy field area which is spoiling all the agricultural produce. All these have put the efforts of our farmers in vain. No government has paid attention to these issues. The elected representatives too never paid attention to the interest of the people,” Advocate Anish Bakal alleged.
The other issue plaguing the constituency during the last two decades is large number of unemployment. “It has led to migration of educated youth especially on Portuguese passports in search employment. This constituency has the Goa Medical College Hospital (GMCH), Dental College, Nursing institute, FDA, IPHB but St Andre people are deprived of sizeable number of jobs. Employment has been given to people of Sattari. Not only this, there are hardly any proper and friendly projects to generate employment,” Adv Bakal said.
