FRIDAY, APRIL 26, 2024
Team Herald
QUEPEM: Call it apathy by the concerned authorities or political interference? Around 70 families residing at Navi Moddi-Tilamol in Quepem have been deprived of access to their houses as they claim that the route leading to their houses has been allegedly blocked by a builder.
The locals claimed that they launched three morchas on the Xeldem Village Panchayat in the past six years and had even stopped the construction work, but in vain. The locals have vowed to continue with their protests till their demands are met.
It is pertinent to note that there are 70 houses at Navi Moddi in Survey No. 25/13, belonging to the Scheduled Tribes community, and to date they have been deprived of the basic facilities.
The villagers claimed that one of the roads in the village, which connects to the Tilamol market, has been blocked after a builder constructed a building. The villagers now fear that another illegal construction, which is coming up, will also block the second road in the village.
Despite launching the morchas on the panchayat, the work has resumed, the locals said and claimed political interference behind the move.
“We are not against the building, but want road access to our houses,” demanded a villager. The locals protested last year too, but the construction work continued as per the revised plan.
“The panchayat is issuing licenses “illegally” for carrying out the construction work. There was a stay on the construction work with regard to the building concerned, but some panchas got the resolution passed and the work resumed. This is an injustice to the ST community. The work has to stop and this road has to be declared as public property,“ said Rony Oliveira, a local.
“We were told earlier that the road would be declared as a public road,” said Rony.
“After discussing with the panchayat secretary a site inspection of the building will be conducted along with the technical person following which, a stay order will be passed,” said Xeldem Sarpanch Dipti Naik.
