MARGAO: Agitated villagers of Manora-Raia on Sunday blocked the PWD water supply service road passing through the village after their repeated plea to install the second gate on the road fell on deaf ears.
The villagers have now set a 15-day deadline on the PWD authorities to install the second gate or threatened to raise a laterite wall to block movement of traffic along the road.
Led by Anthony Fernandes, the villagers assembled at the road early Sunday morning and blocked the road with stones and other material in protest against the closure of the road by the PWD authorities. While the PWD had a month ago installed a gate on the road, the local residents had been demanding the second gate as well on grounds that the road is being misused by anti-social elements. “We have seen today that a number of liquor bottles and condom packets were found abandoned along the road. This only goes to show that prostitution and other anti-social activities are going on along this service road,” Anthony said.
He told the media that the residents of Manora had been running from pillar to post for around a year now to get the road closed, but in vain. “Last Sunday, we had called on PWD Minister Sudin Dhavlikar, who too did not evince keen interest in the matter,” Anthony said.
Manuel Barbosa expressed surprise over the attitude of the authorities in closing the road when the PWD officials have maintained time and again that the service road is meant only for water supply maintenance work. “Information dished out by the PWD under the RTI reveals that the gates have been mooted to prevent movement of public vehicles,” he said, while demanding to know the indifferent attitude of the authorities when the PWD insists on necessary action to safeguard the main line and service road from anti-social elements.
