MARGAO
The deadlock over the issue of telecom tower at Gorvotti-Nuvem continues as the second round of discussions and hearing before the South Goa Additional Collector, Srinet Kothwale on Friday failed to evolve a solution.
The Additional Collector, however, has asked the Traffic Cell to submit a report on the ground situation as the villagers have insisted that the tower erected on the NH 66 is in violation of the norms contained in the Telecom policy.
Incidentally, a traffic officer was drafted by DySP Traffic Prabodh Shirwaikar to conduct an inspection of the traffic situation at the Gorvotti junction, where the company has already erected the mobile tower.
Incidentally, when the traffic officer was inspecting the site, the company officials also made their presence felt at the site. Villagers opposing the tower at the traffic junction also descended in large numbers to insist the removal of the tower from the traffic point of view.
When contacted, Additional Collector, Srinet Kothawale informed that the second round of discussions between the telecom company officials and the delegation of villagers yielded no result. He, however, said the authorities will take a call on the tower issue either on Monday or Wednesday after receiving the report from the Traffic Police.
He said the villagers are insisting that the tower at the Gorvotti junction has come up in violation of the policy norms, and hence have called for the dismantling of the tower.
The company officials, meanwhile, have asked the villagers to suggest alternate site for the shifting of the tower, which has now been rejected by the villagers.
Nuvem villager Everson Vales said that the villagers have now decided not to suggest any alternate site for the tower, pointing out that the company had put up the tower without taking the people into confidence. “It is now for the company to look out for alternate site,” Everson said.
Activist Zarina Da Cunha also pointed out that the telecom company should find out alternate site for the tower, saying the company cannot expect the villagers to hunt for a site.
