PERNEM: The residents of Duelwada/Gawandiwada in Parsem have complained that their 50-year-old access has been blocked by Shri Devi Bhagwati Devasthan Committee.
They have now requested the Devasthan Committee and local MLA Dayanand Sopte to make provision for road to reach their ward from the main road.
The 10 affected families allege that on the pretext of beautifying the temple, the committee blocked their 50-year-old traditional access road that connects their ward with the Parsem Village.
Ward member Vikas Parsekar said that the Devasthan president and the local MLA had promised the 10 families that before commencing the beautification work, they would make provision for the access road.
“However, it has been six months that the project work is on, but till date there is no sign of the access road,” he said.
“Since there is no access road to the ward, people, especially the elderly, are facing difficulties while commuting through mini-barricades,” he said.
The local ward member also claimed that the Devasthan Committee has not obtained NOC from the panchayat to build compound wall that is blocking the traditional access.
He said that after he complained to the panchayat that the Devasthan Committee has blocked the traditional access of Duelwada residents by constructing “illegal” compound wall, the panchayat conducted a panchanama and issued stop notice in June to Devasthan Committee.
“However, till now the work is going on,” he lamented.
Residents said that due to blocking of access road, four families were unable to celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi. The residents are worried that with the blocking of the road, emergency vehicles such as ambulance or fire tenders cannot come in their ward.
When contacted, MLA Sopte said, “No injustice is done to anyone. The provision of access road was made, but the residents tried to involve other political people in this matter, due to which I left the decision to the Devasthan Committee.”
