Asmita Polji
asmipolji52@gmail.com
PERNEM: The locals of Virnoda, Volpya, Tuem and Bhutwadi villages have urged the State government to construct an underpass at Volpya Junction in Pernem.
The Volpya Junction located just before the Virnoda Village Panchayat links these four villages to the main highway. The locals have alleged that while undertaking work of the new six lane highway, the government failed to make a provision for the people of these four villages to cross the highway and a way to reach to the highway directly. Similarly, no provision of service road is kept for the commuters and pedestrians.
The locals from these four villages are demanding that the government make a provision for an underpass for the commuters and pedestrians to cross the highway since they have to travel almost four kms to reach the next underpass to cross the highway. Provision of staircase to walk to the highway is kept.
Panchas of Virnoda Panchayat claimed that the next underpass for the villagers to cross the highway is almost four kms away from the main junction, due to which the commuters are facing hardship. The underpass provided four kms away is also narrow where buses cannot take proper turn and only two and four wheelers can move around easily.
The panchas alleged that without taking panchayat into confidence and proper planning, the work is being done and whenever they questioned the concerned engineers on the site, they play blame game.
Panchas also informed that the panchayat made several applications to the government authority demanding underpass at Volpya Junction. However, they haven’t received any response.
