VASCO
A sudden move by the Mormugao Port Authority (MPA) on Friday to close a crucial foot overbridge connecting Desterro and Vasco by welding shut its entry and exit points has triggered strong public backlash and sharp political criticism, particularly with the Damodar Saptah festival just around the corner.
Residents expressed outrage over what they described as the MPA’s “high-handedness”, accusing the authority of acting without consulting local bodies or the public. The footbridge is frequently used by hundreds of pedestrians, including devotees heading to the Vailankanni chapel and the Damodar Temple during the annual Saptah celebrations.
Vasco MLA Krishna Salkar, who rushed to the site upon hearing about the closure, condemned the MPA’s action in strong terms.
Salkar criticised the MPA for not informing the Mormugao Municipal Council (MMC), local MLAs, or administrative authorities before taking such a drastic step.
“They act like they’ve bought us. Sometimes they install gates, now they’ve shut a bridge. They must inform MMC, the Dy Collector, Mamlatdar and other authorities. There are engineers in these departments who can assess safety. Instead, they put up a banner saying ‘maintenance’ dated June 6 “ today is June 27. What were they doing for 21 days?” he asked.
Calling the move arbitrary and irresponsible, Salkar warned, “We won’t be responsible if people come out on the streets. MPA must take all stakeholders into confidence. We have no issue with their business interests, but they must communicate and involve local representatives in such decisions.”
MMC Chairperson Girish Borker, who was also present, echoed similar sentiments.
Borker called on Salkar to escalate the matter to the government and ensure that such unilateral actions by the port authority are stopped in future.
The MPA has so far stated that the closure was for maintenance purposes, but no official communication has been made to local authorities or the public.
