The Hindu Business Line : Public transport, water priorities: Alemao

The man who almost rocked the 50-day-old Digambar Kamat Government by joining forces with the Opposition in the last week of July last year turned around to become its saviour within the next fortnight. Churchill Alemao of the two-member Save Goa Front (SGF), a local outfit, who resigned as the South Goa Congress MP ahead of the June State assembly election to fight the Congress, is now the Minister for Public Works and Science and Technology in the Congress-led coalition. Mr Alemao, who represents Navelim assembly constituency, says his priority is to decongest the main cities.

You joined the Government in a peculiar situation. Though the Government has completed six months you have been Minister only for slightly over four months. What have been your accomplishments in this period?

I joined the Government because Congress agreed to implement the points my party SGF had raised in the interests of the people of Goa. Today people are agitating over Special Economic Zone projects; I had opposed them long back.

I am concerned with the growing pressure on the State’s public transport network. I am thinking of getting Monorail kind of projects to connect the major cities of the State. We are undertaking a lot of projects like construction of subways, ring roads, bridges and widening of State Highways. At least three major bridges are on my list. I have several ambitious projects to upgrade the road and transport network. Taking into consideration the financial constraints, many of these projects would be by public-private participation.

I am very seriously concerned about the quality of PWD works. I have decided to blacklist the engineers and contractors over quality of roads and other works.

Any plans to improve water supply?

Recently I took a policy decision to stop the huge wastage of public water by closing down the public taps. I am trying to give free water connections to the poor. I also plan to augment water supply for South Goa.

What about Science & Technology?

We have implemented a scheme to provide grant-in-aid of Rs 2,500 per school under the National Green Corps programme to bona fide schools and colleges for undertaking projects relevant to science and technology and awareness drive.

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