Politics at inauguration of utility cum changing block at Palolem

Goemkarponn desk
CANACONA: Goa Tourism Development Corporation chairperson Dayanand Sopte inaugurated 90 lakh worth of Public Utilities and Changing rooms at the world-famous Palolem beach entrance on Friday.
The project funded by Goa Goa Tourism Development Corporation (GTDC) Ltd was inaugurated by Dayanand Sopte in the presence of local MLA and deputy speaker Isidore Fernandes, Chief Officer Uday Prabhudesai, councillors from the opposition group, other officials of GTDC and the locals of Palolem.
Palolem, which is famous in India and worldwide as Queen of the beaches of the coastal state of Goa, got one more feather in its cap after the much-needed facility was thrown open by the GTDC chairperson on Friday.
Local MLA, while speaking, said that he regrets the decision of the CMC
Chairperson, vice-chairperson and the other councillors of the ruling group to skip the inauguration.
“The development of this type is for the Canaconkars, and I request all the councillors to work together, and small, petty issues should not be politicised,” Fernandes informed.
Sopte, while answering to the questions from the media, informed that this type of facilities at the beaches are a must and the local municipality should have welcomed this facility. This was long overdue, he said.
He informed that the foundation stone for the Utility facility was laid in 2019, and due to Covid-19 pandemic, the project got delayed.
Maintenance of the block will be looked after by an agency appointed by the department, he said.
The long-overdue facility is constructed at a whopping cost of 90 lakh and has a separate block for ladies and gents, a ramp, and a separate room for the differently-abled persons.
The facility also boasts of a lactation room, staff room, 6 bathrooms and a Reverse Osmosis filtration plant cum cooler with a capacity to filter 500 litres of water per hour.
The washbasins are fitted with modern push taps that stop automatically after a predetermined period to save water.
There are in all 80 lockers to keep belongings and valuable items of the tourists safely.
Conspicuous by their absence were chairperson Simon Rebello and the councillors from the ruling group.
Others present during the inauguration were Municipality Chief Officer Uday Prabhudesai, former chairperson and sitting councillor of Bhagatwada Nitu Dessai, councillor Hemant Naikgaonkar, Mastimoll councillor Dhiraj Naikgaonkar, Delem councillor Supriya Dessai and Patnem councillor Shubam Komarpant.