The Congress party has demanded the registration of an FIR against the Traffic Police, Public Works Department (PWD), Regional Transport Office (RTO), and road contractor following a fatal accident in Sukekulan, Pernem. A Congress delegation, led by GPCC President Amit Patkar, gathered at the Pernem police station and questioned the police inspector about the failure to apprehend the truck driver responsible for the incident.
The Congress delegation submitted a memorandum to the police, urging them to take action. Among the Congress leaders present were GPCC General Secretaries Vijay Bhike and Jitendra Gaonkar, District President Virendra Shirodkar, Narayan Redkar, Pradip Harmalkar, Pramesh Mayekar, Pranav Parab, Sanjay Barde, Minguel Fernandes, Babuso Talkar, Ramchandra Palyekar, Francis Fernandes, Krishna Naik, Rajendra Redkar, Bernard Rodrigues, Prakash Kinalekar, Prakash Pirankar, Gloria Lobo, and others.
Amit Patkar stated that Namdev Kambli tragically lost his life in a severe accident caused by a heavy commercial truck belonging to Ashoka Buildcon while carrying out road construction. He criticized the police for admitting that they had not conducted a verification of the driver, who fled the scene and remains untraceable.
Patkar emphasized that people are losing their lives due to the negligence of contractors, traffic police, and the Regional Transport Office. He demanded that FIRs be registered against them. Patkar also questioned the Chief Minister about the lack of charges being filed against the contractor and government officials involved in the case.
Vijay Bhike highlighted the need to withdraw FIRs against locals who protested at the accident site. He criticized the inaction of the traffic police towards road contractors who fail to implement safety measures at construction sites. Bhike also pointed out that FIRs were being filed against individuals who were not present at the scene or were out of town, suggesting that the MLA was seeking revenge against the people.
Virendra Shirodkar criticized the Traffic Department for its failure to provide adequate infrastructure on roads, such as signage, traffic signals, and other devices that ensure smooth and safe movement of vehicles.
The Congress party’s demand for an FIR against the road contractor and government departments aims to hold them accountable for the accident and address the issues surrounding road safety in the Pernem area.
