MARGAO Coming out strongly against the restaurant proposal in the proposed multi-level parking project in the city, former MMC chairperson Ganashyam Shirodkar on Friday warned the government not to bulldoze with the restaurant project, saying Madgaokars will oppose the proposal tooth and nail.
Shirodkar wondered whether the restaurant project is being tailor-made for the Marwaris when the Municipal Council had proposed the multi-level parking lot to solve the acute parking space plaguing the commercial capital.
Addressing the media, Ganashyam further wondered how come Margao MLA Digambar Kamat has gone to the public with the statement that a restaurant will come at the proposed parking lot on grounds it is the need of the hour.
MMC resolved to build a parking lot
“The MMC has resolved to build the multi-level parking project to resolve the parking issues and not to build a restaurant. Moreover, the restaurant proposal in the parking project has never been discussed at the Council meeting. All that the councillors know is that the civic body has handed over the project to the GSUDA for execution,” he said.
Ganashyam recalled that he had floated a global Expression of Interest around 23 years ago during his stint as MMC chairperson inviting bidders to set up a parking lot in the city. “I had proposed the parking project two decades ago since I had the vision for the city. Sadly, the proposal was never taken to its logical conclusion by the successive Council that assumed office in 2000,” he said.
Referring to MLA Kamat’s announcement that the restaurant proposal has been shown and discussed by GSUDA, Ganashyam said most of the councillors have in one voice asserted the plan was never discussed with them.
The need to earmark space
“For whom is this restaurant meant for when the heritage building is facing acute space crunch and cannot accommodate crucial documents. We should earmark space in the parking lot for storage of documents than for a restaurant,” he said.
Saying the restaurant proposal runs contrary to the 74th Amendment to the Constitution, Ganashyam said, “What is the use of an elected Council if the government is interfering in its functioning. We should have a law wherein the chairperson is directly elected by the electorate to ward off interference in the Council.”
