PANJIM, NOV 2
The morcha blocking Mandovi Bridge resulted in long traffic snarls leaving the common man on street caught in a traffic jam.
The chaos prevailed near Kadamba bus stand as the protestors under banner of National Highway Diversion Action Committee blocked Old Mandovi Bridge for over two hours as a part of the demonstration.
The morcha began at Azad Maidan at about 3pm from where the protestors marched to the KTC bus stand and were stopped at Old Mandovi Bridge.
A huge force of policemen, drawn from different North Goa police stations were deployed along the route right from the starting point till the secretariat at Porvorim.
Although the demonstrations went on peaceful, the common man on the street was at the receiving end. The blockage after the office hours created more confusion. Long queues of vehicles were seen from the city till O Coqueiro circle at Porvorim.
North Goa SP Arvind Gawas confirmed that there was no violation of section 144 CrPC during the entire morcha as they were stopped before the bridge.
Fearing law and order situation, district magistrate Mihir Vardhan had imposed section 144 of CrPC at Porvorim and Panjim in the wake of the morcha.
In the order, he had said that the possibility of law and order issues cropping up cannot be ruled out.
“The prohibitory orders under section 144 CrPC has been enforced within 500 meters around the Secretariat complex at Porvorim and area under Panjim police station for 12 hours between 12noon to12-midnight,” the order copy read.
