Team Herald

PONDA: Marcaim MLA Ramakrishna (Sudin) Dhavalikar, Kavlem Sarpanch Rajesh Kavlekar and their supporters on Friday protested against the Ponda Municipality for closing the Kavlem-Khadpabandh road. 

The agitators have warned the municipality to reopen the road within two days, failing which they have threatened to intensify the agitation.

The municipality suddenly closed the Khadpabandh-Kavlem road on Friday by erecting a compound wall.

Following this, a large number of villagers from Kavlem and Bandora Panchayats led by MLA Dhavalikar, Kavlem Sarpanch Rajesh Kavlekar and Bandora Sarpanch Ramchandra Naik staged an agitation.

On the occasion, Dhavalikar produced documents to prove that the land was acquired for Kavlem-Khadpabandh road in 1989 by the government. Therefore, he said, the municipality and PWD should keep the road open for the public. 

Kavlem Sarpanch Rajesh Kavlekar said the road is being used by residents of Ponda and Kavlem for years and they must be allowed to use the road. 

When contacted, Municipal Chairman Venktesh Naik said that the said road is not shown in the Outline Development Plan (ODP) for Ponda. 

“Further, the residents of Friends Colony at Khadpaband expressed fear that the road is accidents prone as a bypass highway is passing through the area. To prevent accidents, PMC closed the road,” Venktesh said.