PORVORIM
Residents at Pundalik Nagar in Penha-da-Franca reacted with anger on Wednesday morning when they found the Science and Community Park locked and ongoing work stopped at the site.
They reported the matter to Porvorim MLA Rohan Khaunte and the Penha-da-Franca panchayat.
Khaunte along with panch members of Penha-da-Franca and a group of locals visited the Science and Community park to take stock of the situation.
In the presence of media persons, Khaunte called on the Executive Engineer (Buildings) Eduardo Pereira. Since he did not respond, Khaunte then phoned Assistant Engineer (Buildings) Gadkar, who informed Khaunte that the PWD had locked the park but could not explain the reason for the action.
Khaunte informed Gadkar to convey to Pereira to get the PWD to remove the lock by Thursday afternoon, failing which he would direct the panchayat to break open the lock.
Khaunte later told reporters that he had made enquiries and realised that some government officer had directed the PWD to stop ongoing work at the Science and Community Park and to put the lock at the main gate.
“It is apparent that some BJP karyakartas must have approached Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and informed him that I want to inaugurate the park on my birthday on Thursday. I have almost never inaugurated public projects on my birthday, the last being one project in 2013.”
“I have given an ultimatum to the PWD to remove the lock and open the park by Thursday afternoon, failing which the panchayat will break open the lock and open the park for the public.”
“I have also directed the panchyat to file a complaint against the PWD for locking the science and community park. The Science and Community park belongs to the Penha-da-France panchayat and the PWD does not have right to put the lock without the panchayat’s consent,” added Khaunte.
The Porvorim MLA said he had written to the chief minister on December 14, 2019, requesting him to approve the balance amount, so that work on the park could be completed and the park could be inaugurated on December 19, 2019.
“However, there has been no reply from the chief minister’s office. The file for these projects was lying in the office of Science and Technology Minister Michael Lobo for the last two years. I have now decided to go ahead and complete the project with the help of corporates and open the Science and Community Park for the public,” said Khaunte.
