MARGAO
A resident of Majorda, Sharlet Fernandes who represents Ward No IX of the village Panchayat of Majorda-Utorda-Calata has on Monday knocked the doors of the Goa Human Rights Commisssion with a plea to issue directions to the PWD officials to forthwith undertake immediate restoration of all damaged PWD roads in Ward No IX.
The petition has been filed under Article 21 of the Constitution of India read with section 12 of the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993 for gross violation of the right to life and safety of motorists, residents and children due to the deplorable and dangerous road conditions in Ward No IX, Utorda.
Sharlet has prayed to the GHRC to take cognizance of the gross and continuing violation of the fundamental right to life and safety of the residents of Ward IX, Utorda, as guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution of India.
She has also prayed to the Commission to initiate departmental action against the concerned officers for negligence, endangerment of public safety, and violation of their public duties and withhold the promotion of Respondent No. 2 and 3.
The petitioner contended that though the underground cabling work was completed by April 2025 in the Petitioner's Ward, the PWD officials have failed to carry out timely restoration of the affected roads. “The damage to the roads progressively worsened, especially with the onset of the monsoon season by end of May 2025. The already narrow roads in the Petitioner's Ward were made more narrower by damaging the existing carpet of the road”, she said.
Sharlet pointed out that the PWD took up the patch-work of the roads in Ward No. I and Ward VIII in village Utorda, while they failed to take up the same work in the Petitioner's ward.
“Around the second week of May 2025, the PWD Junior engineer had assured that once the work of restoration would be completed in the neighboring Village Majorda, the restoration would be taken up Petitioner's Ward, which however till date was never taken up for reasons best known to the Respondents inspite of continuous requests”, she added.
