Third public Lobo-Sequeira spat over development projects in Calangute lJoint Mamlatdar convenes a meet of the warring factions at Calangute Police station lBoth agree to solve matter amicably
TEAM HERALD
CALANGUTE: Tension prevailed at Khobra Vaddo in Calangute on Saturday when friends-turned-rivals, Calangute MLA Michael Lobo and Calangute Panch Joseph Sequeira, sparred yet again, this time over work to prevent water-logging in the area.
Bardez Joint Mamlatdar Anish Prabhudesai had to rush to the site to diffuse the situation and later convened a meeting of the warring factions at the Calangute Police station. Both parties were asked to maintain status quo till a final decision was reached by the higher authorities.
The work to asphalt the by-lane to resolve the water-logging issue was simultaneously being carried out by PWD and the Calangute Panchayat, when the work was stopped by both rival parties.
While Sequeira claimed that the PWD had not obtained an NOC from the Calangute panchayat, Lobo insisted that Sequeira had no authority to stop the work.
Both leaders along with their supporters rushed to the site and were involved in a heated dispute on the road work. With the situation threatening to turn violent, a Calangute police team rushed to the site and sought to pacify both groups.
Prabhudesai has also convened another meeting of both the parties in his chamber on Monday.
Later speaking to media persons, Lobo said the PWD had been asked to resolve the water-logging problem in the area due to persistent requests from locals. “However, the contractor was asked to stop the work by Sequeira. Calangute Sarpanch Clara Fernandes did not come to the site,” said Lobo.
Sequeira said, “A contractor was asked to carry out the work. However, a PWD contractor was also carrying out the work without obtaining an NOC from the local body.”
Incidentally, this is the third major confrontation between Lobo and Sequeira over development work in Calangute.
