Road being built for mobile tower which was stopped by p'yat
Assagao Sarpanch Hanumant Naik, accompanied by local residents, at the site of the road construction in the village on Tuesday.
MAPUSA
The quiet village of Assagao is once again in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons, as fresh allegations of illegal land activity have surfaced – this time involving a controversial road construction project.
Just days after reports of an alleged attempt to encroach upon Comunidade land, another suspected backdoor land grab was thwarted by alert villagers.
According to sources, workers allegedly engaged by the electricity department were found constructing and hotmixing nearly 300 metres of road in the village, purportedly to provide access to a site for a proposed mobile tower.
However, the legitimacy of the project has been called into question.
While the electricity department reportedly claimed the road was intended to facilitate access to the tower, the local panchayat had already halted the tower’s erection at the same location.
On receiving word of the roadwork, Assagao Sarpanch Hanumant Naik, accompanied by concerned villagers, rushed to the site and demanded that the construction be stopped immediately.
“There is no question of the electricity department undertaking this road construction when such work is the responsibility of the PWD,” Naik said.
“Moreover, the panchayat had already stopped the tower project. So why is a road being built for it – without even informing the panchayat?” he asked.
In response to the situation, Siolim MLA Delilah Lobo visited the site to assess the issue first-hand.
She directed the sarpanch to collect signatures from residents and submit a formal written objection to the Public Works Department (PWD), voicing the community’s opposition to the unauthorised road or any similar activity by other agencies.
The incident adds to a growing list of concerns from residents about unchecked development and alleged irregularities in land use within Assagao, a village once known for its peaceful, green surroundings.
Villagers fear that unless authorities step in with stricter enforcement, Assagao’s unique character may be lost to unregulated expansion and misuse of public resources.
