PANJIM: The Calangute panchayat and villagers will protest against the condition of roads in the village on September 1.
The protest will be held at Calangute Tinto, at 9 am, said acting sarpanch Joseph Sequeira.
Earlier, Sarpanch Anny Fernandes, in a letter shot to JICA project Director, Calngute police and the North Goa Collector threatened to call for a bandh on Septmber 1, if their demands were not met.
Sequeira said that the panchayat sent several communications to the authorities, who failed to act so far.
“The government says they are doing sewerage works, but the people are misunderstanding and blaming the panchayat for poor conditions,” he said adding, “the road is dug up by JICA and PWD so they have to repair it.”
Sequeira also criticised JICA for digging the entire stretch at a time.
“They should work on one side first, repair it and then take up the other side,” he said.
The roads in Calangute are in bad conditions due to laying of underground sewerage pipeline and construction of chambers by JICA.
The digging in Calangute has even resulted in a fatality last year, when a daily wage labourer lost his life.
With the monsoons lashing the state, the road from St Anthony’s Chapel to Holiday Street has become unmotorable.
The potholed road has even led to accidents resulting in injuries.
The issue is similar in Baga, which is also undergoing sewerage work, and at times witnessing flooding.
The locals are upset as the village roads were freshly hot-mixed only to be dug up later to lay underground pipes.
Calangute MLA Michael Lobo said that all the roads in Calangute were hot-mixed and in good condition before the JICA sewerage work started.
“JICA is laying sewerage pipeline and 97 per cent of the work has been completed and I cannot tell them to stop now,” he said.
Lobo stated that the roads would be repaired by September 15.
“We are waiting for rains to subside and begin repairs,” he said.
“I assure the people that the roads would be repaired by September 15 and will be completely hot-mixed by October 25,” he stated.
