MARGAO
An inspection of the National Highway 66 traffic junction at Bellem, Navelim to resolve the traffic issues ended on Monday without much deliberation after representatives of a couple of authorities played truant.
The Margao Traffic Cell in-charge PI Gautam Salunke, however, exposed the authorities for their inaction, saying the road junction near the Furtado petrol pump still remains unsafe, with the recommendations made by the traffic authorities unimplemented to date.
The meeting of the authorities was called by the Sub-divisional Magistrate, Margao Prasad Volvoikar following a petition made by the United Goans Foundation, seeking inspection of the traffic junction on top priority.
While a consultant deputed by the PWD, NH was on the site, representatives of the UGF said no official of the National Highway and the Deputy Collector, Margao were present for the inspection.
PI Gautam Salunke told the media after the inspection that the Traffic cell had taken up the matter with the PWD and other authorities for the last year but in vain.
“We had so many meetings with the concerned agencies, including inspections, but in vain. The road junction near the Furtado fuel station is totally unsafe. We had submitted a road improvement plan to the authorities. Though there were promises from the authorities to make the road safe for traffic, the ground reality has not changed”, he added.
President of United Goans Foundation Dr Ashish Kamat said the Navelim traffic junction near the Furtado fuel station has become a death trap. He lamented over the absence of representatives of some of the agencies of inspection, only showing the apathy and indifference of the concerned authorities.
Kamat demanded urgency from the authorities with Christmas and New Year festivities hardly a few days away. “We demand that the authorities conduct an inspection by descending on the ground rather than going by the Google images”, he said.
UGF member Dominic Noronha has warned that failure to implement the road improvement measures on priority will only force the NGO to knock on the doors of the High Court seeking directions to the concerned authorities to make the road safe.
