SANGUEM: The citizens from Sanguem and neighbouring villages led a morcha on Tuesday, to the Electricity Department office to highlight the alleged indifference of Junior Engineer (JE) Atul Naik with the public. They also aired their grievances concerning the frequent power supply problems in the taluka.
Chairperson of Sanguem Municipal Council (SMC) Romualdo Fernandes who has been at the receiving end of the alleged high-handed behaviour of the JE some days back, brought to the knowledge of the Executive Engineer (EE) Vinayak Mhalsekar as to how the JE behaves with the public. He also informed Mhalsekar about how Naik allegedly verbally abused him when he questioned the electricity department’s staff members about the non-functioning street lights in the town area.
The agitators, which comprised of councillors Queiroz Cruz, Suryadatt Naik, Amita Mapari, Prakash Gaonkar, Sarpanch Uguem Village Panchayat Arjun Naik, panchayat member Bhati Manoj Paryekar, Meshu Dcosta and others vehemently demanded Naik’s immediate transfer from Sanguem.
Manoj Paryekar spoke about the power problems faced by the people at Valkini and other wards of Bhati village panchayat. Paryekar also complained of the several damaged electricity poles in the village, which need replacement.
Amit Kanekar a resident from Salgini highlighted the plight of the residents residing in the hilly areas sans electricity. Kanekar added that since the last fifteen days, there has been no power supply, which has severely affected dairy farming in the village. It has also affected school children answering their exams.
Incidentally, JE Naik abstained himself from work by applying for sick leave.
EE Mhalsekar assured the agitators of resolving their demands regarding the power outages within a period of seven days. Mhalsekar informed the agitators that even the Deputy Collector of Sanguem had served a show cause notice to JE Naik recently.
Mhalsekar also assured of making himself available at Sanguem office twice a week to hear grievances of people from Sanguem and get them resolved.
SMC Chairperson threatened another agitation if the street lights in the town area are not made operational by October 29.
