Team Herald
VASCO: The residents of Zuarinagar and Velsao-Pale and shopkeepers on Thursday confronted the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) authorities and the contractor for abruptly closing a 60-year-old Major District Road (MDR) at Queeny Nagar junction.
The sudden closure caused disruption in the movement of traffic. The MDR was closed for the ongoing works along the National Highway. The agitated residents demanded to know the reasons for the sudden closure of the road without giving any prior notice and demanded that the road be opened. They alleged that the sudden closure of the road was part of a hidden agenda to provide easy access to an under-construction mall at Velsao.
Former Velsao-Pale-Issorcim panchayat member Roquezinho D’Souza said that after meeting Cortalim MLA Anton Vas, they submitted a memorandum to the NHAI office at Sada, Mormugao and demanded a site inspection by the project director of NHAI. He said that the residents were panicked on knowing that the stretch of the MDR could be closed permanently.
“This is a busy road with a residential colony and many shops in the basement. How will these residents get access, and how will the shopkeepers who have been earning their livelihood for the last 20 years survive? These businessmen cannot be deprived of their livelihood all of a sudden,” D’Souza said.
D’Souza alleged that there was no notification regarding the closure of MDR nor was the local panchayats and the local MLA informed. Also the NHAI authorities had no proper plan.