TEAM HERALD
CALANGUTE: Hitting back at his friend-turned-foe Calangute MLA Michael Lobo, Calangute Panch Joseph Sequeira has challenged Lobo to stop developmental works in the village.
Addressing a news conference on Friday, Sequeira dared Lobo to stop the road-widening work from Calangute Association Hall to Charlston Hotel at Khobra Vaddo, Calangute.
“The Calangute Panchayat is undertaking development through its own funds with co-operation of the villagers. The road-widening work will start from Saturday,” stated Sequeira, while challenging Lobo’s directions to the contractor to stop the work.
“Nobody can stop me and I will see how the Calangute MLA stops my developmental plans and prevents movement of JCBs in Calangute village. Nobody has filed any objection to the road-widening work and people have supported the move of Calangute Panchayat. I have been authorized by the local body and empowered to act under the Panchayat Raj Act. However, few locals did raise their voice against the road-widening work,” stated Sequeira.
Condemning the public spat on Wednesday and the subsequent protest rally by BJP workers, Sequeira said the panchayat is in possession of all documents pertaining to construction of the bus bay to decongest busy roads of Calangute.
“It was nothing but action at the behest of the BJP cadre of Calangute to stop the bus bay in front of a shop,” Sequeira said.
Asked to comment on parking of vehicles for locals visiting the shops, Sequeira said, “A parking provision is being made in the market area, a little ahead of the shops.”
When it was brought to his notice that the Calangute panchayat secretary has informed Lobo that he had no knowledge about the road-widening work, Sequeira shot back, “May be he did not want to be dragged into the controversy, being a government servant.”
Deputy Sarpanch Savio Gonsalves told reporters that the news conference had been convened to counter the protest march by BJP workers at Calangute and condemn the incident on bus bay at Calangute market. All panchayat members, including the co-opted member, were present for the news briefing in the chamber of the Calangute sarpanch.
