Lobo: Government to seek Rs 350 crore central funds for tourism

CALANGUTE: The state government is going to seek Rs 350 crore from the Centre to develop tourism infrastructure in Calangute, said deputy speaker of Goa assembly and local MLA Michael Lobo.

Speaking to the media on Friday, Lobo said that with the new airport planned at Mopa, the number of tourists visiting Calangute is going to jump substantially.

"In the last five years, we have improved the basic infrastructure tremendously, but much more needs to be done. We are preparing plans for a multi-level parking facility where the Calangute Association football ground is located at present," Lobo said.

"As part of the project, two underground basement levels and two above ground levels will be built, while the ground will be used for hosting football matches. We are also going to build a football stadium there, as Calangute is known as the cradle of football in Goa," he said.

The Calangute legislator also said that there are also other plans that will be taken up once the Union government grants its approval.

Lobo said that the Centre has already sanctioned Rs 9 crore for beautification works in Calangute and Rs 5 crore for Candolim, and the work, which is currently under way, should be completed in two months time.

Following this, more works to develop infrastructure in the Calangute-Candolim-Arpora belt would be taken up subsequently, Lobo said.

Anthony Menezes and Blaize Fernandes, sarpanchas of Calangute and Candolim respectively, were also present. Menezes said that they had made a lot of promises during the panchayat election, which now have to be fulfilled. "In the next one year, we are going to transform Calangute," he said.