MARGAO: For the fifth time the villagers of Curtorim stopped the work of erecting the cellphone tower in Virabhat, which was being done in the vicinity of a government primary school and residential area.
On Wednesday, the locals spotted the contractor installing the cellphone tower under heavy police protection and forced them to return back.
Caetano Hilario, Sarpanch of village panchayat Curtorim, along with local leader Moreno Rebello, rushed at the site and strongly objected to the erecting of a tower in the vicinity of government school.
Upset with the situation, locals have now decided to petition Chief Minister Pramod Sawant for shifting the cellphone network tower to some other location.
Speaking to reporters, Anthony Peixoto, a local resident expressed shock as the contractor continued to make attempts to erect the cellphone tower, despite the locals objecting on several occasions.
“We don’t understand why our request is not being heard. The rule itself states that the cellphone network tower cannot be installed within the radius of 20 metres from a school or residential area. People are just asking to shift the tower to some other location,” he stated.
He further informed that they will now start a signature campaign and a memorandum will be handed over to the Chief Minister seeking his intervention into the matter.
Apparently, even the village panchayat of Curtorim has written letters to the mamlatdar on the matter, but authorities are expressing their helplessness in the matter. Late in the evening the villagers of Virabhat, Curtorim march to MLA Reginaldo Lourenco’s residence demanding withdrawal of cellphone tower.
It may be recalled that earlier on the several occasions, people of Curtorim had objected to install the cellphone tower over here but the contractor continues to make an attempt in erecting the same.
