FRIDAY, APRIL 26, 2024
SANTOSH NAIK
PONDA: Kavlem Goddess Shantadurga Temple is one of the famous tourist spots in the country and visited by tourists throughout the year. However, the villagers have pointed out that recently, one signboard installed by PWD on Farmagudi-Margao national highway road shows Kavlem Shantadurga Temple in wrong direction thus confusing the tourists.
The tourists visiting Goa often travel from North Goa to South Goa and visit Kavlem Shantadurga Temple. Thus, while proceeding from Farmagudi towards Margao there is one signboard installed near bullet motorcycle showroom, the arrow on signboard directs tourists visiting Shantadurga Temple to proceed towards left hand side of Ponda i.e Ponda and Shantadurga Temple shown in same direction. As against it, the arrow showing Shantadurga Temple should be at right hand side which is exactly opposite the Ponda direction. Kavlem Shantadurga Temple is located opposite the Ponda side.
Kavlem Sarpanch Rajesh Kavlekar said, “The signboards were installed around 15 days back and following the complaints by locals I had informed the PWD officials. However, still these boards are standing there and giving wrong information to the commuters travelling on the national highway. The Kavlem locals mentioned that this wrong signboard creates inconvenience to tourists and demanded immediate rectification.”
According to National Highways Authority of India official, “Though Ponda and Shantadurga Temple are shown in same direction. Thereafter, after proceeding further for another 50 metres there is another signboard with arrow showing Shantadurga Temple in right side direction which is the correct one and Ponda at the left side. Thus, the tourists can take the right-hand side to move towards Shantadurga Temple. These two signboards are differently done, as there are chances that the tourists are likely to proceed from flyover towards Margao. So I don’t think there is any mistake in the signboards.”
