VALPOI
Remote parts of the State are generally ignored and forgotten as far as infrastructure is concerned, but the village of Surla in Sattari which is along the border of Karnataka has had its fair share of development.
The village, which is part of Thane paanchayat and Poriem constituency, has had much better power supply than people in the adjacent villages in Karnataka.
The department provided power supply to the village by laying underground power lines at a cost of Rs 2 crore nearly 15 years ago. In contrast, a neighbouring village in Karnataka reportedly gets only two hours of power supply each day. The village also has its own high school, which not only caters to students from Surla but also students from adjacent villages in Karnataka. A new school building has also been sanctioned in Surla and construction work is in progress.
Surla village now has a new bridge built at a cost of Rs 47 lakh.The 3.5-metre wide bridge existing bridge had been built over the river in the village about four decades ago, but it began deteriorating over the years.
As a result, residents in Surla had begun demanding a new bridge along the important route and put forth their request to local MLA Pratapsing Rane and the health minister. The proposal was then sent to the PWD.
“After the project was approved, the foundation stone for the new 7-metre wide bridge was laid in February and the bridge was constructed within three months,” said Valpoi PWD Assistant Engineer Devendra Velingkar.
“The contractor has done a good job and was quick to complete the work in just three months. The bridge has been constructed at a cost of about Rs 47 lakh. Surla village has a good bridge and this is important for the development of the village.”
The villagers have expressed happiness as the new bridge is wider and more importantly taller, taking into account rising water level during the monsoon.
Thane Deputy Sarpanch and Surla Panch Suryakant Gaonkar said though Surla village is located on the border of Karnataka, it is an important part of Goa and has retained its cultural heritage.
“We thank the government for constructing a bridge as it will give a real boost to the development of the village,” said Gaonkar.
