Title - Lobo demands rail service to Candolim-Arpora tourist belt

PORVORIM: Calangute BJP MLA Michael Lobo urged the government to explore the possibility of connecting the Konkan Railway line to the Candolim-Arpora tourist belt and to revive the rent-a-bike scheme.Speaking during the demand for grants to transport and PWD, Lobo said that a large number of people from the coastal areas right from Pernem to Canacona earn their living by renting two-wheelers to tourists. He said the scheme started by the government 10 years ago had benefitted thousands and hence the government should reconsider its decision to stop implementing the scheme. Stating that it is a major source of self-employment to the coastal people, he requested the government to acquire land for parking rent-a-bikes. Lobo also called upon the government to start an insurance policy and mediclaim for taxi drivers.Stating that the coastal belt is facing a major transport problem, Lobo demanded a traffic coordination plan and that a committee comprising officers from transport, traffic, tourism and the village panchayat be constituted to look into the issue. He demanded that the government should construct parking lots, footpaths for tourists and a dedicated water pipeline for shacks.Goa Vikas Party chief Francisco 'Mickky' Pacheco demanded that the government get rid of agents and touts operating from outside the offices of the transport department. Moving over to the PWD, he said the roads constructed in the last five years were of poor quality and blamed it on the "percentage" system. He also demanded that the inquiry report of the anti-corruption branch on the suicide of a PWD contractor should be made public if the government believes in transparency. The ACB was asked to inquire into the case in which a contractor had committed suicide in Mayem two months ago.

Benaulim MLA Caetano 'Caitu' D'Silva said the former PWD had approved five bridges in the constituency when no one had asked for even half of them. "An inquiry should be instituted on the projects," he demanded. The Calangute MLA demanded that the government declare the dumping of construction material by the roadside a cognizable offence.

Dabolim MLA Mauvin Goinho requested that the government shut the swimming pool at the Goa Niwas in Delhi and convert it into a conference hall.