MAPUSA: The Bardez Kala Bhawan Nirmiti Samiti (BKBNS) spearheading the movement of construction of the Ravindra Bhawan has called for a CBI enquiry into the alleged fraud in the Mapusa Communidade land.
Addressing a press conference in the city, the president of the samiti, Mr Narayan Karekar lashed out at the local MLA who led a strong morcha of some anti Ravindra Bhawan elements to the Chief Minister. He termed this action of the local MLA as ‘disgraceful’.
"Never before during his tenure has he ever led a morcha to concerned departments asking them why development is not being initiated in Mapusa and why Mapusa is lagging behind with the completion of projects, but it is surprising that he led a morcha to the Chief Minister demanding scrapping of the Ravindra Bhawan project from coming up at the site near the police station".
Mr Karekar further wondered what made the local MLA enter in the picture when the land actually belonged to the Communidade and it was the Communidade and the tenants who have illegally sold the land and against whom the government must act.
"We strongly condemn this attitude of the local MLA ". Speaking further Mr Karekar said that the Samiti has always been favouring the Kala Bhawan at the said site and there is no way that the site can now be shifted.
"First some Communidade members along with the local MLA were saying that the site near St Xavier’s College should be acquired for the purpose, then they began to say that a site near Hotel Green park is favourable now suddenly they are saying that the site near the bus stand should be acquired. All this is a mockery. The bottom-line is that all these elements are basically blocking development from taking place in Mapusa". Mr Karekar even said that the people who had gone to the Chief Minister to protest were all ‘hired’.
Mr Kiran Shirodkar and Mr Madhukar Bhosle who were also present not only urged the government to initiate an enquiry into the functioning of the Mapusa communidade but even demanded the immediate ouster of the local MLA from the PDA.
"All that is being done in Mapusa is allowing buildings to come up and conversion of fields into C1 and C2. If this is the rate things are going on in Mapusa, the city is destined to be destroyed and then who will be responsible for this?" Mr Bhosle sought to know. He said that the Samiti was firm that Mapusa should have a Ravindra Bhawan at the earliest. "We urge the government not to fall prey to such tactics of people who are not interested in welfare of Mapusa," stated Mr Shirodkar. He also pointed out to instances where filling of low-lying areas including fields was being undertaken in Mapusa.
