Poor roads have been the cause for several road mishaps across the State and yet, authorities concerned have rarely been held accountable.
MAPUSA
This time though, an aggrieved Mapusa resident has filed a complaint with police against the PWD and the Mapusa Municipal Council (MMC) for poor quality and potholed filled roads, which led to his son's accident.
Although police are yet to treat the complaint seriously, the lodging of the complaint clearly reflects the agony of residents who have been silently suffering the pitiable condition of roads in the city.
In his complaint to the Mapusa police, Sheikh Akbar Ali of Khorlim has said that his son, Sheikh Abdul Aziz, a college student, was returning home from the Peddem Sports Complex on his two-wheeler at around 7.25 pm on October 8.
On reaching the garden at Altinho near the Mapusa civil court, his son's scooter slipped into one of the many potholes, on account of
which, he lost control and fell on the road unconscious. A police vehicle later shifted him to the North Goa District Hospital. The complainant's son had to undergo surgery, as he had fractured his right elbow in the accident.
A distraught father informed the police that due to the accident his son was unable to answer his college exams. "Due to poor condition of the road, my son was deprived of answering his crucial exams causing him mental agony," Sheikh said and blamed the PWD and the Mapusa civic body for failing to repair the roads and fill up the potholes.
Picking on the police, the anxious father said that the police on duty had recorded the statement of his son in the hospital and passed off the mishap as a self-accident.
"Police officials have failed to conduct a panchanama at the accident site, which is very essential to book the culprits responsible for damaging the roads and converting them into death traps," the complainant said.
He requested the Mapusa police in-charge to take immediate cognizance of his complaint and register a criminal case against JICA officials, PWD and the Mapusa civic body.
Despite efforts, the police was unavailable to comment in the matter.
While the Mapusa police inspector was busy the entire day, the DySP is one leave and the police superintendent did not answer the call.
