Canacona, September 5, 2026: The Canacona Block Youth Congress on Saturday staged a protest at Palolem, highlighting the deteriorating condition of roads and the growing number of potholes that have been causing inconvenience and posing safety concerns for motorists, pedestrians and local residents.
The protest was led by Canacona Block Youth Congress President Manesh Naik Gaonkar and was attended by Goa Pradesh Youth Congress State Vice President Vaishnav Pednekar, South Goa District President Pralay Bhagat, National Coordinator-in-Charge Battu Srikant, State General Secretary Navdeep Faldessai, along with Vaishal Pagi, Kiran, Vishwadeep Shettesai, Sunil Gaonkar and other office bearers and Youth Congress workers.
The protesters pointed to the poor state of several road stretches in the area, particularly the presence of large potholes and uneven surfaces. They said the road conditions were creating difficulties for daily commuters and residents while increasing the risk of accidents and vehicle damage.
Speaking during the protest, Manesh Naik Gaonkar said that residents of Canacona should not have to repeatedly raise concerns over basic infrastructure and demanded that the authorities take responsibility for maintaining roads in safe and usable condition.
“We are not protesting for politics; we are protesting for the people of Canacona. The government must take responsibility for the condition of our roads and answer the people,” he said.
Naik Gaonkar further questioned the continued expenditure on infrastructure while citizens are still forced to navigate dangerous potholes. He demanded permanent and quality repairs instead of temporary measures that, according to the Youth Congress, fail to address the problem in the long term.
The Canacona Block Youth Congress called upon the concerned authorities to immediately inspect the affected road stretches, undertake durable repairs and ensure that proper quality standards are followed during road works. The protesters also demanded that responsibility be fixed for the continued neglect and poor maintenance of the roads.
The Youth Congress maintained that road safety and public infrastructure should remain above political considerations and said it would continue to raise the issue until concrete action is taken by the authorities.
The protest concluded with the message: “Enough is Enough — Fix Our Roads Now.”
