VASCO
The Velsao Pale Issorcim Panchayat has asked the PWD to clarify their role over road works in the village after the panchayat had to spend its funds to clear roadside bushes and prune trees along the roads.
Velsao Sarpanch Henriques D’Mello and Deputy Sarpanch Sylvia D’souza have also requested PWD Minister Deepak Pauskar to intervene in the matter.
Sylvia D'souza told reporters that the panchayat for the first time cleared the bushes along the entire MDR road stretch between Upasnagar and Velsao panchayat for the safety of motorists.
"Roadside bushes were overgrown and covering the barricades on shoulders, making the road look narrow and leading to the possibility of accidents. This is the PWD’s responsibility and we wrote to the PWD in April to clear the drainage and roadside bushes.”
“However, they wrote back to us that as per guidelines, it is panchayat’s responsibility. We again wrote to the PWD to provide us with the PWD guidelines but we did not receive a reply as yet and finally, we cleared the bushes and trimmed tree branches at our cost on Gandhi Jayanti for the safety of motorists," said D’Souza.
"The PWD has been doing nothing to maintain the roadside drainage for the last four years and we don't receive any support from PWD. The panchayat does not allot us funds for these works as they claim that this is the responsibility of the PWD and we cannot do much on this issue.”
Sarpanch Henriques D’Mello said the PWD had been usually clearing roadside bushes of MDR road.
"If the PWD claims this work is the panchayat’s responsibility, the government should allot us funds for this work. As far as street lights are concerned, 90 per cent of lights are non-functional. While installing the new fixtures, the government had said that maintenance of these street lights was awarded to a private party for the next 10 years but in just two years, 90 per cent of lights are non-functional.”
“Now, they may say that upkeep and maintenance of street lights are also the panchayat’s responsibility. We don't have sufficient funds allotted for such extra works and the government must either specify guidelines regarding our responsibility or allot us extra funds for such works," said D’Mello.
Village Development Committee Member Roquezinho D'Souza said he had taken up the issue with the panchayat after taxi drivers complained to him that they had to drive their vehicles on the middle of the road to avoid roadside branches and bushes.
“The Panchayat took up the works despite a paucity of funds for the benefit of villagers. There should be some clarity for the panchayat and villagers as to whose responsibility it is to take up works along the MDR road and we can take the next step," said D’Souza.
