MAPUSA
Assagao Sarpanch Hanumant Naik, on Sunday, announced at the gram sabha that the village panchayat would soon file a public interest litigation (PIL) against the authorities for poor workmanship while laying utility service lines, which resulted in the destruction of village roads.
"The main road has been completely destroyed due to digging work carried out by the electricity and water departments. We are preparing to file a PIL in the High Court, and by next week, we should have the petition ready," Naik assured the concerned locals.
Just before the monsoon, the key road in the village was excavated to lay a 33KV power line and a water pipeline on either side of the road, resulting in the destruction of nearly 2 km of the main road.
The heavy monsoon rains further deteriorated the road, creating large potholes and making it nearly unmotorable.
Motorists and pedestrians have faced significant challenges navigating the damaged road.
Village resident Surendra Gad raised concerns about the poor road conditions, demanding an action plan from the panchayat for repairs.
Other villagers criticized the timing of the work, noting that it began just before the monsoon, leaving no opportunity for repairs before the rains.
Sarpanch Naik informed the gram sabha that the Village Development Committee (VDC) had resolved to file a PIL before the High Court.
He highlighted that while laying the utility lines, the authorities had destroyed a cross drain and a culvert, with no proper supervision conducted.
This led to the utility lines blocking the cross drain and causing water to overflow onto the roads.
"In many places, the water overflows onto the roads because the drainage system has been destroyed. Someone must be held accountable for this substandard work. The people of the village have been suffering," Naik stated.
The gram sabha also discussed and opposed the newly introduced Section 39A in the Town and Country Planning (TCP) Act.
Villagers expressed concern about the rise of mega projects in the village and questioned the panchayat’s stance.
In response, the sarpanch informed that a committee consisting of panchayat members, experts and officials from other departments would be formed to inspect the ongoing mega projects and decide on appropriate action.
Additionally, the gram sabha unanimously passed the annual budget after a brief discussion.
