Railways forced to stop work at Nessai

Officials, contractor feign ignorance about panchayat stop-work order; local body pastes order on site

THE GOAN NETWORK | OCTOBER 31, 2020, 12:23 AM IST
Railways forced to stop work at Nessai

MARGAO 
The Nessai railway gate turned out to be a flashpoint once again on Friday morning after the Sao Jose de Areal villagers and the local village panchayat forced the railways to stop ongoing work near the railway gate on Friday as the protestors confronted railway officials for continuing with the work when the local body had issued a stop-work order.

The contractor executing the work on behalf of the railways was also caught on the wrong foot by the villagers after his workers were found working at the site without the mandatory health cards. The villagers further claimed that they have complained to the PWD to check the source of the water used for the construction work.

After the Deputy Sarpanch Antonio Oliveira and outgoing Sarpanch Vincy Mascarenhas called the police, the railway officials assured to stop the work after a police officer told them that they should reply to the panchayat body their powers under the Railway Act to carry out constructions without panchayat permissions.

A group of villagers assembled at the site and demanded that the railways stop work since the Panchayat had earlier this week issued a stop-work order to stop work on the construction of two rooms, including a power room.

As officials and the contractor present at the site feigned ignorance about the stop-work order, the panchayat pasted a copy of the order at the construction site, even as villagers demanded immediate stop to the ongoing work.

Since the railway officials were insisting that the Railway Act grants them the exemption in respect of obtaining permissions from the local panchayat body, the Deputy Sarpanch and outgoing Sarpanch dialled the 100 No to call the police at the site.

After much discussion, the railway officials finally decided to stop the work after a police officer suggested to the officials to reply back to the panchayat if they are exempted from obtaining panchayat permissions.

Meanwhile, Curtorim Primary Health Officer, Dr Vallabh Nadkarni, who came to the spot after being called by the villagers, confirmed that the workers engaged by the contractor were working at the site sans the health cards. 

Dr Nadkarni told The Goan that he would issue the notice to the contractor to get health cards for the workers as per the rules in force.

A villager Freddy Travasso later told The Goan that the railways was bulldozing with the construction of two rooms near the Nessai gate when the panchayat has issued a stop-work order. He said the railways had bulldozed its way by taking up work of laying the double track near the Nessai railway gate without permissions from the local body.


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