MARGAO
Infuriated with the frequent damage caused to water pipeline due to digging by a cellular company to lay underground cables, Navelim MLA Luizinho Faleiro along with residents of Navelim sat on the road at Rawanfond, demanding an FIR against Reliance Ltd and also attachment of the machinery used in the digging work.
It was only after the Margao police assured to attach the machinery used in the road digging work and the assurances by the PWD that they would lodge a police complaint, Faleiro withdrew the sit in dharna on the road on Friday noon.
A visibly upset Navelim MLA went on the sit in dharna after the Goa police failed to act on his complaint against the company, holding it responsible for the man-made water scarcity in the areas of Davorlim, Rawanfond locality of Navelim constituency. “At around 9.30 in the morning, I had called up DySP Raju Raut Desai with a plea to lodge a complaint against Reliance for what he called as their criminal act of breaking the underground water pipeline and denying water to the citizens. Since there was no response from the Goa police for three hours, I had no option than to take this drastic step of the sit in dharna on the road in front of a damaged water pipeline,” he told the media.
The local sarpanch of Davorlim, besides residents pointed out that the company does not take any permissions from the local panchayat body, saying that even notices issued to the company are not replied to.
Margao PI Kapil Nayak assured the Navelim MLA that the police would register an FIR against Reliance only if the PWD, Water Supply lodge a formal complaint. While the PWD, Water Supply officials at the site agreed to lodge a police complaint, they are believed to have shied away later in the evening on grounds that the company had the necessary permission from the department to dig the roads.
With the PWD, Water Supply officials backing out to lodge a complaint, a group of sarpanchas from Davorlim and other areas reportedly assured PI Kapil later in the evening that they would lodge a formal complaint with the police against the company.
Meanwhile, the Margao police has registered an GOT against Reliance under the prevention of damage to public property Act following a complaint received from Navelim sarpanch.
