Benaulim locals stop drain construction

MARGAO: In spite of the presence of a strong posse of policemen alongwith the executive magistrate Paresh Faldesai, Benaulim locals on Saturday morning stopped PWD officials from constructing a drain in the village at Pulwado.
The villagers were angry as the PWD was digging a 3m wide road to build the drain, further narrowing down the road.
It may be recalled that residents of Pulwado on Thursday morning had strongly objected to the construction of the drain by the PWD along the 3m wide road.
As a result, work of constructing the drain started only on Saturday morning after PWD officials sought police protection and an order to this effect was issued by the south Goa collector.
Accordingly, a force of around hundred policemen led by Colva police inspector Tushar Veneker alongwith the PWD engineers and labourers arrived at Pulwado, Benaulim, and started digging work. Executive magistrate Paresh Faldesai was also present to maintain law and order.
Once digging work started on the eastern side of the road, a group of around fifty persons, mostly women, stoped the work and questioned the executive engineer of PWD as to why the construction of a drain on the western side of the same road was abandoned. They demanded that this work be completed first.
"If a three meter road is dug to construct a drain than where will the road be ? questioned Agnel Fernandes the ex-sarpanch of Benaulim.
"No NOC to dig the road has been issued by the Benaulim panchayat," informed Gilbert Fernandes the ward panch.
"Panchayat body was not informed about the ongoing work. Some persons want to create an impression that the panchayat is not doing any work. This appears pure politics to put the panchayat body in bad light," said Benaulim sarpanch Carmelina Fernandes while speaking to TOI.
"We want to know how the authorities were constructing the drain by reducing the road width," questioned Gaira D'Mello.
As the commotion increased and the situation was becoming tense, the magistrate informed the south Goa collector G P Naik about the situation. Later, Naik urged the villagers, PWD officials and all those concerned to attend a meeting to discuss the issue at the south Goa collectorate at 10am on Monday.