Team Goemkarponn
CANACONA: Residents of Patnem in the Canacona Municipal area staged a Rasta Roko agitation to draw the government’s attention to concerns surrounding an upcoming mega project, alleging that repeated representations to authorities have gone unanswered.
Protesters said the agitation was a last resort, as written requests submitted to concerned government offices over two months ago seeking clarity and justice have not yielded any response. The residents are particularly aggrieved over the proposed widening of an access road to the project.
According to locals, the existing road leading to the proposed project site is only about 2.5 metres wide, while official plans reportedly show the same road as having a width of 10 metres. Residents questioned how such widening would be possible when residential houses are located very close to both sides of the narrow road, warning that it could lead to displacement.
Patnem councillor Shubham Komarpant, who supported the agitation, clarified that residents are not opposing the project itself, but are strongly objecting to the road plan. He demanded that the Town and Country Planning (TCP) Department conduct a joint site inspection to assess the ground reality.
Komarpant pointed out that the proposed residential project is expected to have more than 40 apartments, raising serious concerns about traffic congestion and inconvenience to existing residents if vehicular movement is forced through the narrow access road. He warned that the planned widening, which would affect even one metre on either side, could severely impact nearby homes.
Stating that people were compelled to stage the Rasta Roko after failing to get relief from various government departments, Komarpant appealed to Mamlatdar of Canacona, Gajesh Shirodkar, who arrived at the site, to intervene and initiate a joint inspection involving the TCP department.
Mamlatdar Shirodkar advised the protesters to submit a formal written application and assured them that he would correspond with the concerned authorities. Following this assurance, the protesters withdrew the agitation.
Komarpant later stated that an eight-day deadline has been given to the Deputy Town Planner’s office. He warned that if no joint inspection is conducted and no decision is taken regarding the road widening by next Tuesday, residents will launch another protest.
