MMC extends advocates’ service for 3 more months
MAPUSA: A special council meeting of MMC on Monday extended the service of two advocates for three more months in a resolution with 19 votes for and one against.
The advocates Apolonia Mesquita and Madhavi Salkar were appointed on a temporary basis for three months.
However, Councilor Adv Madhumita Narvekar objected to the extension claiming there are already four advocates excluding these two, who handle the legal activities of the council.
Sources said these two advocates get double the amount of remuneration every month compared to the four advocates who represent MMC in different courts
The Mapusa People’s Union who had given writ petition to MMC complaining these two advocates do not co-operate with the common man while replying to RTI complaints.
Diversion on NH17 ‘dangerous’
PERNEM: After two major accidents claimed two lives on NH 17 at Porascadem, the PWD laid rumblers and a divider to avoid more mishaps. However, a diversion just ahead after the turn connecting an internal road to the highway is now confusing the commuters who do not know if they are to proceed or take a diversion. Now this location has become an accident prone zone.
Commuters say the diverted road is very unsafe since there a tree in between which hides the frontal view. Sources say at least one vehicle falls prey at this diversion every month.
The diverted road is also being used as parking for bikes, cars and even trucks which stop at a garage located at the turn.
With the number of accidents rising, the locals fear of even crossing the road in the absence of proper signboards.
Marna panchayat stops residential project
MAPUSA: Marna Siolim panchayat kept a residential project on hold since locals demand the owner should solve their problems before the project starts.
The Marna-Siolim Panchayat, along with Town and Country Planning and locals of Madhlem Bhat Siolim inspected the proposed residential project and decided to hold the project till people’s problems gets solved.
The locals of Madhle Bhat Siolim have opposed to a residential project by Preeti Infrotech which the locals claim is illegal.
Locals of Siolim alleged that the said project is illegal and without proper documents from TCP. People also said that the Marna Siolim Panchayat has given licence to this project without consulting them and claim the project is blocking their traditional pathway to walk into a temple. Villagers allege the owner has not left the 3-metre distance from the road for people to walk.
Aldona villagers suffer from power failure
ALDONA: Villagers in Aldona constituency are facing lot of inconvenience due to frequent power failures for the past two months. With no power for almost five hours every day the villagers claim the authorities are not even bothered about their sufferings. The villagers are now planning to stage a dharna. To add to this suffering, the authorities, starting from the Electricity Department to the local MLA, are playing a blame game.
After paying the taxes regularly and the government speaking about improving digitalisation and technology, the villagers feel they are deprived the basic needs of electricity.
Frustrated with the frequent power failure, the people of Aldona even gheraoed the Mapusa Electricity Department but even this did not help.
Sources said the issue is with the underground cabling of electrical wires which is causing cuts in the power supply while some allege the power is being diverted to Porvorim and surrounding areas from the Thivim sub-station.
A local Janice Dsouza said “food items from the fridge are getting spoiled when the power goes off for almost 5 to 6 hours and sometimes for the whole day. Household chores which are normally completed in few hours are now taking double or triple the time with the constant power cuts.”
Aonther local Joseph Fernandes said, “Power failure has become a daily routine for Aldonkars, especially during the night. There is no specific time for the power to go off. The power goes off every hour and sometimes even after every minute making us face issues in the household work, and makes our children suffer in their studies and makes us restless.”
People say that they have contacted every concerned authority from Substation of Aldona to Electricity Department and even local MLA Glen Ticlo but the authorities are only giving oral assurances and nothing concrete takes place.
Amarnath Panjikar Convenor of Aldona Block Congress Committee said, “Power Minister and MLA of Aldona and the Assistant Engineer at Mapusa Electricity department had assured the Aldonkars the problem will be solved soon but till now nothing seems to be working. People are facing inconvenience for the last so many days. Goa Government and our MLA have become insensitive and inefficient to perform their duties in providing even the basic services to the people.”
The officials at the Mapusa Electricity Department said that “the fault was with the main line coming from Thivim which was causing improper power supply. We have kept a shutdown in entire Aldona for urgent repairs and maintenance on Saturday from 9 to 2 pm and people should cooperate.”
