Panaji: Withh the Aquem ring road still not reopened for traffic after dusk post-illumination, the Shadow Council for Margao has petitioned the South Goa district Magistrate to open the road saying that illuminating a road that is not used is not only foolishness, but also wastage of power supply and public funds.
In the petition, the SCM has said since the stretch of the Aquem ring road from power house circle to KRC station is illuminated during the nights, it becomes imperative to throw open the road for traffic.
A delegation of SCM on Thursday handed over a memorandum to the Additional Collector Srinet Kotwale demanding for the withdrawal of the Ring Road closure order, and opening the same for the use of commuters.
The delegation compromising of SCM Convener Savio Coutinho, Radha Kavlekar, Arch. Carlos Gracias, Maria do Carmo Fernandes, Damodar Onskar, Zarina Da Cunha and Nyusya Da Cunha called on Kotwale and discussed the issue of the arbitrary closure of the ring road.
They claimed that outgoing Collector Jyoti Kumari was very much averse to issue the notification for closure of the road on flimsy grounds of waste dumping, but she buckled down under political pressure.
It was further pointed out that the order and its conditions, speaks of some ongoing beautification work of the ring road, which work is hampered on account of waste dumping. “We categorically brought to the notice of the Collector that from the day the order for closure came into effect ie. 24/11/2022 till this date, there was/is absolutely no such work in progress.”, the delegation said.
The delegation further alleged that the closure of this important road, at the cost of public inconvenience, is purely an attempt to cover the failure in the waste management system of the Council, and to protect the waste collection agency, namely Bapu Environmental Social Service Organization, engaged by the Council.
