There is a need for the local governance body (Village Panchayat) to formally engage with the Public Works Department (PWD) to follow up on the extension and widening of the western and northern side roads connecting to St Joseph’s High School in Arpora, Bardez, Goa. A section of this road remains extremely narrow, causing inconvenience to students, parents and the public. This long-pending infrastructure requirement needs to be addressed through a structured grievance and proposal framework.
The approach roads via Viegaswado and Mainath Bhatti experience heavy student and commercial traffic. While recent infrastructure initiatives led by the Calangute Constituency MLA and the Village Panchayat have resulted in hotmixing and widening works from Nagoa to Saligao, the internal road sections near the school require separate attention and dedicated allocation. A formal Panchayat Resolution is required before the PWD can take up intervention on internal village roads. However, the existing narrow road near St Joseph’s High School falls under the jurisdiction of the PWD and is a road dating back to the Portuguese era.
Draft a memorandum or reminder addressed to the Executive Engineer, Works Division (Roads), PWD North Goa, requesting the widening of the road in coordination with the school management, as portions of the required land belong to the school authority and some to private owners. The proposal should highlight student safety concerns, traffic congestion during school hours, and provide details of the western and northern road extensions, including the exact locations requiring widening.
Major bottleneck clearance works or bridge and culvert extensions in Arpora are often routed through the Goa State Infrastructure Development Corporation (GSIDC). Therefore, necessary coordination with GSIDC should also be initiated wherever required. The Arpora-Nagoa Village Panchayat should submit a copy of the proposal to the Calangute MLA’s Central Office, requesting support for the widening of the approximately 300-metre stretch of the narrow road.
Rajesh Banaulikar, Arpora
