POINGUINIM: Residents of
Palolem
and Ourem in Canacona have written to the deputy speaker and Canacona MLA Isidore Fernandes demanding that the service road to Palolem, among other infrastructure and facilities, be upgraded or put in place in light of the upcoming
tourism
season.
The
Palolem Coastal Citizens group
handed the memorandum to chief minister Pramod Sawant during his recent visit to Canacona.
The memorandum stated that several tourists have already started visiting the beach and complained about the bad state of the service road at Palolem. The road is not only riddled with potholes, but is also narrow, the Palolem Coastal
Citizens
stated, adding that they have already been badly hit by the pandemic and cannot afford to lose business.
Former councillor Dayanand Pagi said that the service road to Palolem is the property of PWD. “I have spoken to the junior engineer and urged him to send the proposal to the concerned authorities. He has promised to prepare an estimate and forward it,” Pagi said.
The tourism stakeholders also pointed out that the Palolem beach area lacks a proper parking space and demanded that the government provide them a parking lot that can accommodate at least 300 vehicles.
“Due to the insufficient parking area, many tourists come here and turn back,” the memorandum stated.
The Canacona MLA said he will pursue matters after going through the memorandum.
Among the other problems highlighted in the memorandum was the need to replace the old electricity lines, which snap every now and then causing power outages, and the problems faced by the fishing community.
The memorandum demanded for a parking ramp for canoes, a shed where fish nets can be mended, a mini ice factory to facilitate storage of catch, and a fish market complex. Presently, in the absence of a market complex, vendors carry out business at the cross junction at Palolem and Agonda, the memorandum stated.
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