the goan I network
MARGAO
Sao Jose de Areal witnessed an uproar on Thursday as local villagers along with the sarpanch and zilla member hit the streets to protest the negligence of a railway contractor while carrying out work on a retaining wall along the railway tracks.
Zilla member Moreno Rebello demanded a FIR against the contractor for negligence and endangering lives as the local villager almost landed in the trench dug up for the retaining wall in the absence of safety measures.
Sarpanch Perry Da Costa also cried foul over the construction activity carried out by the railway contractor by keeping the panchayat body in the dark.
The villagers along with the sarpanch, panchayat members, and villagers assembled at Nessai, meters away from the railway crossing, to protest against the negligent and arrogant attitude of the contractor and the absence of proper safety measures.
They pointed out that a local resident, while returning home from a function, had almost landed in the deep trench.
Moreno said that the villagers had no objection to the work on the retaining wall undertaken by the railways, but wondered whether the railways or the contractor is exempted from taking precautionary measures by fencing the site from the road.
“When the villagers questioned the contractor, he acted in a rude manner, even going to the extent of saying that so far no one had landed in the trench or got injured,” Moreno said.
While condemning the insensitivity of the contractor, the ZP member demanded registration of an FIR against the contractor, failing which he threatened to bring the people on the roads.
Sarpanch Perry and panch member Francisco Rodrigues said the contractor has commenced work on the retaining wall without informing the panchayat.
“When we asked the contractor to produce documents regarding the work, he had the audacity to say the panchayat can obtain the documents from the Hubli office of the railways,” panch Francisco said.
