TEAM HERALD
CALANGUTE: The much delayed road widening works from Calangute Association to Hotel Charlston at Khobra Vaddo, Calangute, finally got underway with police protection following revocation of Section 144 at Calangute on Sunday.
The work was started with heavy police protection led by PI Nilesh Rane, while Deputy SP Porvorim N C Raikar oversaw the arrangements. Calangute MLA Michael Lobo also visited the site and interacted with the GSIDC contractor and Calangute Police officials with a request to leave aside a part of land to the owners to be utilized in due course of time.
The work is estimated at Rs 1.75 crore and will be completed in a week’s time. The contractor has assured to complete tarring of the road within a couple of days to bring reprieve to the locals who were hard hit due to dust pollution.
Lobo has expressed happiness over the latest development, while Joseph Sequeira expressed displeasure over deployment of police force to undertake the works.
Claiming to be unaware of revocation of Section 144 imposed at the site following a public spat between him and Lobo, Sequeira said: “If Section 144 is revoked, why police are deployed at the site to carry out the road widening works.”
“We are law-abiding citizens and not goons for the authorities to have gone in for further extension of Section 144 to stop the road widening works. We have taken up the matter with the District Courts and are awaiting the say,” he said.
“GSIDC has not taken NOC from Calangute Panchayat to carry out the road widening works. However, we are for road works of 15 mtrs width area and if GSIDC fails to do it, then the Calangute Panchayat will take up the remaining works,” added Sequeira.
“The panchayat is powerful and can undertake the remaining jobs within our jurisdiction and nobody can stop us. The Calangute MLA had stopped the work of Calangute Panchayat due to ulterior motives, stated Sequeira.
Refuting Sequeira’s allegation, Lobo said he never stopped the developmental works undertaken by Calangute Panchayat, but was forced to put an end to haphazard developmental works of a few panchas.
“The Directorate of Panchayat and Block Development Office have not authorized any such developmental works, but it was done through private funding by individual panchas. As for obtaining NOC from the Calangute Panchayat, the sarpanch has no problems since the work is being done by the government,” added Lobo.
Clarifying on heavy police force, Lobo said: “I never asked for such a large police force but requested Calangute PI Rane to post a few personnel at the site to avoid any untoward incident. If the police themselves have taken extra precaution then police must have apprehended trouble.”
