VERNA: Expressing serious concerns over the non-fulfilment of promise of speed-beakers, as well as implementing other safety measures, such as installation of pending traffic signals, and deployment of traffic police at the Morod Junction on Verna bypass road, the Verna residents on Monday threatened to stage another massive road blockade in the next 15 days.
“We had blocked the Panjim-Margao road demanding erection of speed-breakers at Morod, as well as other important junctions on Verna bypass road. Due to the protest PWD as well as other concerned departments, including the police officials assured us that they would resolve the issue within 15 days, but they then slept with the file. Now it is over four months and locals are upset as accidents are still taking place. We feel that in few weeks if the issue is not resolved we along with the villagers would be compelled to come out on streets and to block the NH17 road,” said Remy Fernandes, Former Verna Sarpanch and former Zilla Panchayat member.
Raisa Fernandes, a panch from Verna village said the officials had assured the residents that speed-breakers would be constructed and traffic police would be deployed at the junction until speed-breakers are in place.
Sadly it is the fourth month now and assurance is yet to be fulfilled. Now the villagers are feeling betrayed by the officials of state administration and there are high possibilities that in days to come they might again resort to block traffic at Morod Junction and this time they won’t listen as anger has been growing with every passing day, she warned.
Nuvem MLA Wilfred alias ‘Babazinho’ D’Sa slammed PWD officials for not giving priority to the demand by the Verna villagers.
“I don’t think that the PWD officials as well as other concerned officials of state administration are anyway serious to provide relief to the residents of Verna. It is shocking that the PWD Minister Sudin Dhavlikar himself took serious cognizance of the issue and issued a priority letter for the works, but still nothing has been done,” he said.
