Protesters briefly blocked the vehicle of a panchayat ward member at Sanvordem.
SANGUEM
Intensifying their opposition to the proposed bandhara across the Zuari river, residents of Mirabag in Sanvordem on Monday marched to the Sanvordem Panchayat office, demanding that the project be immediately scrapped.
The agitating villagers assembled at the panchayat office in the morning and remained there until late evening, seeking a clear and firm response from the local body.
However, they dispersed without receiving any assurance from the panchayat authorities. The protesters demanded that the potholes allegedly dug by the contractor for laying the foundation of the bandhara be filled without delay.
They also sought a commitment from the panchayat that its members would abstain from attending the PowerPoint presentation proposed to be conducted by the Water Resources Department (WRD) later this week.
Additionally, they called for the registration of an FIR against the contractor for carrying out digging work along the riverbank without securing a No Objection Certificate (NoC) from the panchayat.
While the panchayat members requested time to examine and respond to the demands, the villagers insisted on a reply by the end of the day. It is learnt that the panchayat refrained from assuring any action regarding the filing of an FIR, citing that the contractor had undertaken the work based on official work orders issued by the WRD.
The situation remained tense through the day, with villagers closely monitoring the movements of the panchayat members. At one stage, the protesters briefly blocked the vehicle of a ward member, prompting police intervention to restore normalcy.
With no breakthrough achieved, the residents have warned of further escalation of their agitation. They have declared that they will march to the residence of Speaker and Sanvordem MLA Ganesh Gaonkar on Wednesday to press for the complete withdrawal of the bandhara project in their village.
