MARGAO
The railway level crossing, which has been closed by the Railways after the commissioning of the road under bridge and the road over bridge, took the centre stage at the gram sabha of the Guirdolim village panchayat.
Guirdolim Sarpanch Sonia Fernandes explained the members that Leader of the Opposition Yuri Alemao recently led a delegation of members of the Chandor and Guirdolim village panchayats and the PTA to the Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, with a plea to reopen the railway level crossing for vehicular traffic.
The sarpanch informed the members that the Chief Minister had assured the delegation that he would study the matter before the Chandor railway level crossing will be opened for vehicular traffic.
Sarpanch Sonia also read out a letter received from the Railways on the demand of the villagers for the reopening of the closed railway level crossing in the village.
In the letter, the Railways have maintained that the height of the road under bridge could not be increased beyond 2.6 meter as it would result in water-logging and stagnation, posing danger to the safety of the pedestrians and traffic.
The Railways has further mentioned in the letter that the level crossing was shut after issuing a public notice and only after necessary NOC was obtained from the district Collector, South.
The letter further stated that road under bridge has been built considering the water table in the area and the safety of the road users and the feasibility at the level crossing.
The issue of Chandor police outpost also figured at the gram sabha. Gram sabha member and former deputy sarpanch Brian Pereira pointed out that the police outpost has been rendered redundant with a police deputed to man the outpost does not accept any complaints from the public.
The members pointed out that in the absence of the outpost accepting complaints, the people are forced to travel all the way to Manora-Raia, the headquarters of the Maina-Curtorim police station.
The members also raised the issue of migrants loitering on the roads after they come from work, posing security and safety issues for the locals.
Sarpanch Sonia replied saying the tenant verification would be carried out with the help of the ward members.
Given that the CCTV cameras have been left defunct for want of maintenance, the gram sabha has decided to utilise the 15th Finance Commission funds towards the maintenance of the cameras.
