Team Goemkarponn
Panaji: With road accidents on the rise across Goa, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has lashed out at the state government over deteriorating road conditions and the lack of emergency response infrastructure. AAP Vice President Sandesh Telekar Dessai has called on the government to implement Delhi’s ‘Farishtey Yojana’ in Goa to provide free treatment to accident victims in private hospitals.
Citing recent fatal accidents—including the death of 52-year-old Rajaram Tulekar of Tisca-Usgao, who fell into a pothole while riding his two-wheeler—Telekar blamed potholes, narrow roads, and poor maintenance for the spike in mishaps. Another major accident on the Merces-Panaji route due to a water-filled pothole further underscored the danger.
“While the government is busy enforcing helmet rules and alcohol checks, it continues to ignore the crumbling condition of roads that are claiming lives,” Telekar said, accusing Chief Minister Dr. Pramod Sawant of sidestepping the issue with generic responses in the Assembly.
He pointed to the emotional and financial distress caused by such tragedies, saying, “Most victims are young men, the breadwinners of their families. Now, instead of looking after their elders, their families are forced to cremate them.”
Telekar also raised concerns over the delay in medical attention, as 108 ambulances often transport victims directly to the Goa Medical College (GMC), bypassing closer private hospitals. He urged the government to allow free treatment at nearby private hospitals to reduce response time in critical cases.
Calling for concrete action, he said, “The BJP government should not just announce schemes; it must implement them sincerely. If they’ve already borrowed AAP’s ideas in the past, let them adopt the ‘Farishtey Yojana’ now—and do it properly.”
