Cong slams BJP govt for turning Goa’s roads into “death traps”

Team Herald

MARGAO: The Congress party has raised serious concerns about the increasing number of accidents in Goa, alleging that the BJP government has turned the State’s roads into “death traps”

They argued that inadequate road safety measures and poor infrastructure have contributed to the alarming rise in accidents

Amit Patkar, president of Goa Congress, expressed his shock regarding the recent accident in Curchorem that occurred on Sunday night. He highlighted that the accident, which left two people seriously injured, was due to poor condition of the roads.

Patkar used this incident to underscore his party’s concerns about road safety and infrastructure issues in Goa, further criticizing the current administration for what it perceived as neglect in maintaining safe road conditions.

Amit Patkar informed reporters that on Sunday morning, the Congress Party attempted to mitigate the risks for commuters in Curchorem by filling potholes with a mixture of mud and cow dung. Despite these efforts, he acknowledged that the measures were insufficient and ultimately fell short of addressing the underlying issues of road safety and maintenance.

"When I reached South Goa District Hospital to enquire about the person seriously injured in an accident at Curchorem on Sunday night, I was told that he is shifted to GMC. From Curchorem to Margao to GMC, the Insensitive BJP Government's Health Minister Vishwajit Rane is busy meeting Home Minister Amit Shah to save his chair resulting in the collapse of the health care system in Goa. I demand that the Health Minister should resign immediately," said Amit Patkar.

He said the BJP government has converted all roads in Goa into death traps. In one week, five people lost lives. BJP Government headed by Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has brought darkness in many families during Ganesh Chaturthi festival.

"It is shocking to know that almost seven accidents take place every day in Goa with an average one person succumbing to injuries in every 31 hours. In the last eight months, 197 persons died in 186 accidents," pointed out Patkar.

He further said that the transport Minister Mauvin Godinho has no right to continue as Minister. He has miserably failed in his duties. It is a shame that otherwise loud speaking Mauvin Godinho is now muted himself.

Don’t force people to die like insects: Yuri

Reiterating that road accidents are killing people like insects, the Leader of the Opposition Yuri Alemao on Monday attacked the BJP government for its failure to fix black spots and take measures to stop fatalities.

“Government should improve road engineering in the state and ensure that not a single loss of life is seen on roads. In December last year, Union Minister for Road Ttransport and Highways Nitin Gadkari had announced Rs 100 crore funds to remove the numerous road black spots. Despite this, the State government has failed to take measures to work on it. When it cannot resolve the issue, it should stop boasting of development,” Yuri said.

“It is horrifying to note that thousands of road accidents have taken place across the State in the last five years. Road accidents are killing people like insects. This should be stopped by taking measures,” Yuri said.

He said that in the last 69 months 16346 accidents have been reported, in which 953 persons have lost their lives. “In last nine months 1824 accidents have been reported and 197 people have succumbed to injuries,” he said.

“If we see the attitude of this government, then it is evident that this insensitive government is not bothered about people's safety. This BJP government is forcing people to die on the roads by failing to heed into the issue,” he said.

The Opposition Leader Yuri Alemao warned the government to face agitation if it fails to repair roads, which is one cause of accidents, and take measures to stop accidents.

“We will agitate across the State if Chief Minister Pramod Sawant keeps ignoring the demand of people. At least be sensible and work in the interest of people, rather than focusing on merely protecting ‘chair’,” he said.

One killed in hit-and-run case at Pernem NH 66; driver arrested

Team Herald

PERNEM: In a tragic incident, a pickup driver was killed and two other injured when a truck rammed into their good carriage, which was carrying chicken at Virnoda-Pernem NH 66, on early Monday morning.

The impact of the collision between the two vehicles was so intense that the pickup driver was killed on the spot and two others were injured. The accused truck driver fled the spot along with the vehicle after the collision and was later arrested at Dhargalim by the police. The pickup transporting chicken was proceeding from Pernem to Mapusa.

The police gave the name of the victim as Niyaz Zari of Dabolim, Vasco. The police later arrested the truck driver Mutappa Kolakar, 37, hailing from Bijapur, Karnataka under sections 281, 106(1) of BNS and Section 134 (a) and (b) of the Motor Vehicle Act.

The Pernem police are conducting further investigations under the guidance of Pernem PI Sachin Lokre and DySP Jivba Dalvi.

Meanwhile, Siddhi Shetkar of Arambol, who was seriously injured in a road accident at Mandrem on Saturday, succumbed to her injuries at the Goa Medical College and Hospital (GMC), Bambolim on Monday.

Siddhi’s elder sister Priyanka Kharbe and the latter’s sister-in-law Sanika Kharbe, residing at Askawada, Mandrem had died in the accident. The accident had occurred when they were going to the local fish market on a two-wheeler.