Tension flares up in Quepem after fatal accident

Tension flares up in Quepem after fatal accident
HERALD CORRESPONDENT
QUEPEM, NOV 20
Tension flared up at Colomba-Quepem after a 35-year-old man from Ambaulim-Quepem was fatally knocked down by a car at Colomba on Friday evening.
Since the car involved in the mishap belongs to a mining contractor, a group of angry villagers blocked mining traffic on Saturday morning.
The mishap took place when a Maruti Swift (GA-09-3717), driven by Suresh Krishna Gaonkar of Sulcorna-Quepem knocked down Sanjay Nilu Gaonkar, killing him on the spot.
Upset over the mishap and aggrieved over the heavy movement of mining traffic along the Colomba-Rivona route, villagers blocked mining traffic on Saturday.
Quepem Deputy Collector Agnelo Fernandes rushed to the site and tried to persuade the agitating villagers to allow the resumption of mining traffic.
The villagers, however, were not a mood to listen to the deputy collector and demanded a written assurance from him that mining trucks would be strictly monitored by authorities. They also demanded the implementation of the high court order.
Fernandes assured the villagers that he would convene a meeting on November 22 to discuss over the issue, but the villagers refused to move from the road.
The villagers then demanded the presence of the South Goa collector at the site to find a solution to the problems faced by them.
After calling up the collector, the deputy collector informed the villagers that he was unable to visit the site.
Fernandes finally sought the intervention of Sanguem Police Inspector Ekoskar, who is holding additional charge of the Quepem police since Quepem PI Sudesh Narvekar is on leave.
PI Ekoskar assured the villagers that mining trucks would be monitored from Colomba instead of Tilamol.
Satisfied by this assurance, the villagers dispersed from the site and the mining traffic resumed along the route.