PANJIM: PWD Executive Engineer Sadhana Bandekar has decided to shelve the road construction and beautification works near Our Lady of Agonizante Chapel at Amboi, Sao Matias-Divar after conducting a joint inspection along with the parish priest and locals.
Following stiff opposition from the locals of Sao Matias to the “beautification” near the site, parish priest of St Mathias Church Fr Daniel Pereira led the locals during a joint site inspection in the presence of Executive Engineer Sadhana Bandekar, JE, AE and the contractor. The locals apprised Bandekar and other officials of the consequences.
“I came here to inspect, and after inspection by AE, JE, we came to a conclusion that we are going to shelve this project following objection by locals” said Bandekar.
After the inspection, the Executive Engineer said, “I have observed that trees have been cut and will conduct an inquiry. I will see what can be done”.
It may be recalled that the Sao Matias Panchayat had passed a resolution in their monthly meeting in August 2016 based on a letter.
It is pertinent to note that in January this year, the contractor allegedly started cutting trees and burnt the bushes behind the chapel thereby destroying the property without informing the PWD officials or the Church authorities. The people became aware of the proposed road and pavers behind the chapel.
Fr Daniel said, “We realised that the contractor is using the pathway of our chapel to get access to the property. So we felt it was for individual interest”.
Reacting to the chapel beautification and its purpose, Fr Daniel said, “People never proposed the project. So we have opposed the proposed road and beautification project”.
The parish priest had written a letter signed by 200 parishioners to the Executive Engineer Road Div – II requesting it to issue a stop work order and to scrap the project. However, as the work commenced, the villagers realised that the proposed road and the pavers were not in the interest of the people but for property owned by the contractor behind the chapel.
Sao Matias sarpanch Mohan Volvoikar said, “The proposed work near the chapel was passed in 2016. The project was approved in 2019. Since people did not want the project, it was stopped. Whatever has been passed is during the tenure of the previous sarpanch”.
Fr Daniel thanked the officials for holding joint inspection to clear the apprehension and doubts of the people and for assuring to shelve the project.
The contractor said if people of Divar are objecting to the proposed beautification then he would not go ahead with the work. He said the whole intention was to have the area around the chapel beautified with road and pavers.
He said, “If I had something in my mind then I would have not taken up this job. I have taken contract in Divar because I want to provide quality work”.
“If they do not want it then I will not go ahead. There was no need for a meeting and for all this uproar. They only want to malign my image that I have got the property and that I am getting access to it and using chapel access by cutting the bushes. Somebody may have instigated the locals in this regard,” he said.
“As long as I live, I will not sell this property or bring in any development as it is kept for my only son and I don’t think he will develop it”, the contractor added.