Sardesai demands devpt package for Fatorda

MARGAO: Selecting a chairperson for the Margao municipal council (MMC) will not be an easy task for chief minister Digambar Kamat, as Vijay Sardesai, along with his group of councillors, has demanded a 'special development package' for Fatorda instead of seeking positions of power in the council. Sardesai has also demanded 25 crore for Fatorda constituency in the coming year.
Chief minister Digambar Kamat confirmed that the demand for 25 crore has been agreed to in principle and added that the election of chairperson and deputy chairperson will be done in two to three days after holding a meeting of elected councillors."In the just concluded municipal elections, Fatorda voters chose candidates fielded by me as against those fielded by the Fatorda BJP MLA Damu Naik and the Lok Samiti. The mandate we have got is for development with which we approached the voters, as against the divisive politics of the Fatorda MLA," said Sardesai while addressing the media in Margao on Saturday.
"In order to honour the mandate for development I have had confabulations with newly elected councillors owing allegiance to me and with the chief minister Digambar Kamat. We have decided to go for this special development package and give up claims to any positions of power in the municipality. Our councillors will give total freedom and wholeheartedly support the chief minister to decide who has to head the MMC," said Sardesai.
Sardesai has demanded that the government should not acquire any more agricultural lands in Fatorda assembly segment and sought job reservation in state government departments for kith and kin of land losers whose agricultural lands/paddy fields have been acquired for various government projects in Fatorda.
Sardesai has demanded that the government should declare a job reservation policy at the earliest and desist from privatization of the proposed district hospital at Ambaji as it would mean loss of government jobs which could benefit the kith and kin of land losers. He also demanded preference to the Fatorda youth for employment in government and private sector.
With regard to the stench faced by people from Maddel from the wholesale fish market run by the South Goa Planning and Development Authority, Sardesai said that the SGPDA should immediately set up an effluent treatment plant to do away with fish remains and water which emit foul odour. Sardesai has set a deadline of January 1, 2011 to meet this demand.