Claim move part of hidden agenda to provide easier access to proposed mall
Social worker Roquezinho D'Souza along with locals along the Queeny Nagar MDR road.
Photo Credits: Vikram Nayak
VASCO
Protests erupted on Thursday as locals from Zuarinagar and Velsao, including shopkeepers, confronted the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) and stopped ongoing work, after accusing the NHAI of abruptly closing a 60-year-old Major District Road (MDR) at Queeny Nagar junction.
The closure, which has disrupted traffic and local businesses, is being linked to ongoing works along NH17, leading to rising tensions in the area.
The situation escalated after NHAI contractors allegedly failed to provide clear answers to concerned locals regarding the sudden closure.
Many alleged that the move is part of a hidden agenda to provide easier access to a proposed mall, which could harm the livelihoods of local business owners.
Local social worker Roquezinho D'Souza discussed the issue with Cortalim MLA Anton Vas, who later submitted a memorandum to the NHAI office at Sada and demanded a site inspection by the NHAI project director.
Speaking to the media, D'Souza said they were shocked to realise that the contractor had informed them that the stretch of the MDR road could be closed permanently.
“The NHAI has already put up signs stating that the road is closed, and we decided to confront them on this issue. This is a very busy road with a huge residential colony and many shops in the basement. How will these people get access,” asked D'Souza.
“Besides, there are shopkeepers operating for the last 20 years and they cannot be deprived of their livelihood all of a sudden without any intimation.”
During an inspection, D'Souza claimed that the NHAI did not have a proper plan in place.
“We asked the NHAI director and contractor to demarcate the work before starting, but they didn’t have a proper plan. The MDR road is under the jurisdiction of the PWD, and NHAI should have taken their permission, which they haven’t. There was no notification regarding the closure, nor were local panchayats informed. They did not even inform the MLA Anton Vas, raising suspicions on the nature and purpose of the works,” said D’Souza.
D'Souza also claimed that the NHAI's work had also caused damage to a water pipeline, leaving the area without water for two days.
“The people have been without water because of irresponsible work by the NHAI,” D’Souza pointed out.
Criticising the lack of planning, D'Souza said the NHAI’s solution to redirect traffic was illogical.
“The NHAI is telling us to move along the highway and re-enter the MDR road from a further stretch near the site of a proposed mall. Why divert traffic from the longer highway route and bring it back to the same MDR road? The road was already serving the local population and connecting them to essential services like the market and petrol pump,” he argued.
D’Souza warned that locals would not allow the works to continue unless proper permissions and notifications were provided.
“We’ve stopped the works as of now, and if the NHAI doesn’t provide proper details, we won’t allow them to proceed,” he said.
Meanwhile, calls made to the NHAI officials for their comments on the issue went unanswered, and officials were not available for their comments.
