VASCO
The offence registered by Verna Police against six villagers from Arossim over the reconstruction of a damaged culvert has drawn sharp criticism from Congress leader Olencio Simoes, who called the FIR “illegal and false”.
Speaking to the media, Simoes questioned why villagers trying to protect their homes and fields from flooding were being prosecuted.
According to Simoes, the culvert was originally damaged during work carried out by a company that has proposed a 160-room luxury resort at the site.
He said villagers had, for several years, approached the authorities seeking repairs to the culvert and had warned that its damaged condition could cause serious flooding during the monsoon. He added that the Cansaulim panchayat had passed a resolution supporting the villagers’ demand for reconstruction. However, as no action was taken, residents rebuilt the culvert at their own expense to avoid possible flooding.
Calling the FIR a “dangerous precedent”, Simoes alleged that those responsible for the original damage were being protected while local residents were being targeted. He also said that some people named in the FIR were not even present when the culvert was rebuilt.Simoes appealed to the government to step in, review the long-pending grievances of Arossim villagers who have opposed the project for over 15 years, and withdraw what he described as a false case against innocent residents.
