MARGAO
: Stressing that he would carry forward former chief minister
Manohar Parrikar’s legacy of development, chief minister
Pramod Sawant on Sunday said that Parrikar’s ‘Mission
Salcete
’ has started showing results now, with a large number of people from the southern taluka “getting attracted towards the BJP”.
“If a large number of
Saxtikars are with me now
, it’s only because of the trust and faith that bhai (Parrikar) had inspired in them; perhaps they may have realised it only now, that it is BJP alone that can ensure development. But with due respect to bhai, I won’t call it ‘Mission Salcete’ as he did, rather I would prefer calling it ‘Mission Development’,” said Sawant, speaking to reporters during his visit to Nuvem where he took stock of some of the proposed development works in the constituency. “I will make no distinction between constituencies, be it Bicholim or Salcete, as far as development is concerned,” Sawant added. Nuvem MLA Wilfred D’Sa, who recently defected to the BJP along with nine other Congress MLAs, was present on the occasion.
The chief minister said that a slew of development works will take place in Salcete in the next two-and-a-half years.
Speaking on the Sal river rejuvenation plan, Sawant said that dredging of the river would be taken up in phases and funds from the Centre have been requisitioned for the work. “If River Sal needs to be saved, the people of Salcete have to support us in this endeavour. As raw sewage has been let into the river at many places, the level of E-coli bacteria in the water has been found to be dangerously high. Desilting of the river will also benefit marine life and result in larger catches of fish,” Sawant said, adding that the National Institute of Oceanograophy (NIO) has been assigned the task of carrying out a scientific study of the river.
He also reiterated that there will be a provision for the unhindered flow of water in low-lying areas while constructing the Western Bypass, but stressed that it will not be built on stilts on some stretches as earlier demanded by some politicians from Salcete.
After inspecting the traffic junction where the Eastern Bypass meets the national highway at Nuvem, Sawant said that the PWD will be tasked with developing the traffic island after studying the traffic flow pattern.
Earlier, D’Sa presented a memorandum to Sawant listing out various proposed development works in Nuvem.