MAPUSA
Stating that the Calangute panchayat has failed to resolve the issue of access to the St Anthony chapel at Gauravaddo East, the Calangute Constituency Forum (CCF) on Tuesday demanded that the access road to the chapel be restored within 15 days or else face a protest from the villagers.
At a meeting held at the St Anthony chapel, on Tuesday, which was attended by a large number of villagers, it was resolved that the authorities should restore the original access to the chapel.
Calangute Parish Priest Fr Polly Lobo was also present for the meeting.
“As villagers of Calangute we are giving a deadline to the panchayat that if the access to the chapel is not restored to its original position within 15 days then we will come on the road and gherao the panchayat until the road is restored,” said Premanand Diukar, President of CCF.
On September 12, protesting locals had decided to file an FIR against the builder of a starred hotel for blocking the traditional access to a chapel and to take a morcha before the local panchayat the next day for issuing occupancy certificate to the hotel without resolving the access issue.
Coming under pressure, the Calangute panchayat on September 13 had unanimously resolved to issue a show cause notice to the builder for obstructing access to the chapel.
“The sarpanch had assured to scrape off the new road within four days and restore it to its original position, but till today nothing has been done. Our only demand is to restore the road to its earlier position,” Diukar said.
AAP leader, Sudesh Mayekar said the demand of the villagers has to be met and the road has to be restored to its earlier position.
“I think the sarpanch is not ready to resolve the issue and as he appears to be acting on remote control. This is a village issue and no one should mess with the villagers. If the panchayat does not take action then the village will have to come out and take law in its hands,” Mayekar said.
Congress leaders Joseph Sequeira and Anthony Menezes also said that the original traditional access to the chapel should be restored.
