Panchayats Minister Mauvin Godinho on Wednesday hit out at his opponents and accused them of raking up old stories and misguiding people for political benefit.
He was responding to criticisms from several senior citizens in Chicalim over concrete structures being constructed at Jogger’s Park and complaints that there is no space for recreational activity and exercise.
Speaking to reporters, Godinho without naming anyone said a priest who was supposed to talk about God and religion had begun political preaching in the church to misguide people after being blinded by the massive development taken in Dabolim constituency.
"We have initiated massive development works in Dabolim and some people can't see it because they never expected so much development will ever happen and systematically on such a great scale.”
“They start to go crazy every time some good things happen here and start planning to give us a bad name. I don't want to name anyone but a priest has also begun political preaching and is misguiding the people after he failed to make a noise in the recent gram sabha.”
“They have now got a handful of senior citizens to take out a silent march saying Jogger’s Park is being concretised. I want to clarify to these senior citizens that we are doing modernisation and not concretisation and we are getting additional facilities only for the senior citizens in Phase Two of Jogger’s Park.”
“These works are going on for the last 18 months and the project will be completed in three months. Senior citizens would have objected long back if they had to, but they have been misguided at a stage when 90 per cent works are complete, showing that this is a politically backed move," said Godinho.
The minister said the complex would have the best of facilities for senior citizens like e-library, resting place, and an open-air and closed gym with modern equipment for them.
“We will also have something for everyone like a Mahila Bhavan for women where self-help groups can do business at the stalls made available. We will also have creche service for people with professional nannies so that the parents can take a walk,” said Godinho.
“The panchayat will take care of the Jogger’s Park to be inaugurated in May. These people have the same issues at the Gram Sabha, after which I sent our consultant Mangesh Prabhugaonkar to give a clarification and since nothing happened there.”
“They got a handful of senior citizens to give us bad publicity. I only want to tell them that I will get stronger with their criticism and the more they criticise, I will get even more motivated and enthusiastic and bring more development, no matter how much opposition these people do," said Godinho.
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