Team Herald
MAGAO: Chandor residents have alleged that there is an ulterior motive behind the hotmixing and asphalting of roads carried out by the Public Works Department in the village as it has been raining for some days.
Domnick Mendes, co-convener of the group of villagers fighting against the State Highway passing through Chandor, pointed out that it had rained quite heavily on May 23 night and on the following day on May 24; the hotmixing of the road was undertaken in the village.
“In the last few days it has been raining and we observe that the PWD is continuing with the work making us wonder whether the asphalt will last for long,” he said.
John D Coutinho, who is a member of the group said the MLA was insisting on taking up the work and recalled how the villagers had to meet the PWD Minister to ensure that hot mixing of State Highway No 8 was not done but only repairs of potholes would be undertaken along the stretch.
“While the PWD officials had said that they cannot carry out the work if it rains, we now wonder how the work is going on despite the fact that it has been raining all these days,” he said.
However, PWD officials assured that the work done on the internal roads and Major District Road 42 will last for at least five years as it was done only after the road had dried completely following the rains. They said that the work commenced only post lunch wherever it had rained in the night.
Besides, they pointed out that the RITES agency appointed by the government has already tested the road for the quality and has cleared the work from the quality control aspect.
