MARGAO
Sao Jose de Areal village witnessed an uproar on Monday after residents protested over a mobile tower coming up at the government primary and middle school compound.
Angry residents along with local Velim MLA Cruz Silva assembled at the site of the tower location and demanded immediate scrapping of the project. They pointed out that the tower coming up at the school complex is close to the residential area.
What agitated the residents was that work of excavation to lay the foundation for the tower was taken up late at night. Residents demanded to know why work on the proposed tower is being carried out late at night if the cellular companies have obtained the necessary permissions.
A resident Gracy Cardozo said the locals are not opposed to the tower, but asserted that they don’t want the tower to come up in a residential locality.
Another resident Domingos Cardozo said when the residents inquired with the government school teacher and the Panchayat, they feigned ignorance of any permissions obtained by the cellular company.
“We don’t want the tower to come up in the school complex since it is surrounded by residential houses,” he said, fearing that the radiation from the tower will affect the children.
Velim MLA Cruz Silva said as many as four controversial towers are being set up in Velim constituency, all in government properties without taking the local MLA and the local bodies into confidence.
He said the four towers are coming at the Dramapur football ground, Chinchinim PWD area and two at Sao Jose de Areal and Assolna in school properties.
“When I tried to seek details on the towers, they claim to have obtained the permissions online. There’s no nod from panchayats and they are working late at night. I had taken up the matter in the just concluded Assembly session, drawing the attention of the government how the work on the towers are being carried out clandestinely,” he said.
Promising to take up the issue of Areal and Assolna towers with the Education department, Cruz said he would get the education officials to inspect the site before taking further decisions.
