CALANGUTE: In yet another verbal clash between the Calangute panchayat and the MLA Michael Lobo, the panchayat has accused Lobo of needlessly duplicating road-widening work in Calangute, claiming that it had already commenced a similar project.
Lobo has hit back and stated that the road-widening works, including a footpath from St Alex Church to Bandodkar statue, would be undertaken by the GSIDC and that the State government would be in the best position to decide who will undertake the project.
The row took place when Lobo supervised a joint survey of GSIDC and Calangute Traffic Cell officials, from St Alex Church to Bandodkar statue at Calangute beachfront to explore road-widening work and a footpath over a drain to meet the growing needs of parking and de-congestion of roads.
However, it is reliably learnt that the Calangute Panchayat has also proposed road-widening work from St Alex church up to Dr Jack de Sequeira junction with footpath, etc, and the work was being undertaken.
Speaking to Herald, Calangute Panch Joseph Sequeira has termed the entire joint survey as a “ploy to gain political mileage and duplication of works.”
“In fact, the Calangute panchayat has already proposed road-widening and a footpath from St Alex Church up to Dr Jack de Sequeira statue and it would be a duplication of work. The road-widening has already been done on the eastern side and we will not allow such haphazard development in Calangute village.”
When contacted, Lobo detailed plans for the project, “We want to have a footpath all along the road from St Alex Church to Bandodkar statue with separate parking lots for 2-wheelers and 4-wheelers. A footpath will be laid over a drain and parking will be designated accordingly.
Reacting to the allegations of Sequeira, Lobo shot back, “This is not duplication of work but duplication of the Calangute Panchayat. Let us not talk over it. The works will be done by GSIDC, but let the government decide on who will undertake the works in Calangute,” said Lobo.
