SANGUEM: In normal times the thickly forested and hilly roads of Velgem and Salgini in Sanguem are a tough climb in any weather. But with the main connecting road in a perpetual state of collapse, these remote will villages are almost always snapped from the rest of Goa. And with almost zero mobile network amd patchy electricity, these remain 18th century villages with 21st century challenges.
Last year yet another government official- the fragile link between the villagers and civilisation, Deputy Collector Sanguem Ajay Gaude had promised to get the road done up in the village. There is literally no road now.
Irked with the deplorable condition of the road, the villagers residing in these hilly areas had threatened to boycott the Zilla Panchayat elections to be held in 2019.
That jolted the administration into making promises. That’s the most they could do clearly.
The revenue authorities immediately rushed to the village and assured the villagers of getting the road done in the village on war footing soon after the Zilla Panchayat elections.
The Deputy Collector Sanguem acting on the advice given by the Collector South Goa on whose word, the villagers relented has obviously not made it incumbent upon his team to get the road fixed.
Subsequently on account of of the Corona virus pandemic, the Zilla Panchayat elections were cancelled and were later held in December last. The villagers kept their word given to the revenue authorities and voted in the Zilla Panchayat elections.
The government on the other hand however forgot the assurance given to the villagers.
“Even after a lapse of two years, the government failed to fullfill its assurance making the villagers face untold hardship in using the road proceeding to Verlem and Salgini village” , a villager lamented
It may be recalled that given the deplorable condition of the road, the KTC officials had even threatened to withdraw the lone KTC bus plying in the village last year after the drivers complained of the dangerous condition of the road which not only risked the safety of the drivers but also that of the commuters.
In the last monsoons, the bus drivers and conductors alongwith the villagers were seen doubling up as labourers to clear the debris which had come on the road due to landslide.
As a matter of fact the department has not undertaken any road development work in the village since 2017, claimed a villager Gourish Velip. The water drains in the village are also not cleaned and neither maintained, informed Velip claiming further that not a single rupee has been spent by the Government on the Salgini road since 2017.
The Deputy Collector had assured to undertake the road construction work in the village under the relevant provisions of Disaster Management Act as the forest department was refusing to give NOC for the development of road network in the village.
Assistant Engineer PWD Sanguem Dayanand Nadkarni informed that the process of drawing the estimate for the construction of road to Verlem and Salgini village is presently under progress and that the same would be completed soon.
Nadkarni informed that the department is also in constant touch with the forest department to get the NOC but the same is not obtained as of date.
It is pertinent to note here that Verlem and Salgini ward of Neturlim village come within the jurisdiction of Netravali Wild Life Sanctuary due to which a lot development work in the village stands hampered for want of NOC from the forest department. The road being one of them.
Another villager Amit Naik informed that a road roller which was procured by a contractor for road construction is lying in a scrap condition in the village.
Naik claimed that if the government is not in a position of getting NOC for construction of new road than atleast steps needs to be taken on urgent basis to repair the existing road which has been totally washed away over the years.
