ACCESS BLOCKED: Utorda residents gather near railway track to protest against road closure

Margao: Residents of Utorda gathered in large numbers near the railway track on Sunday to protest against the closure of a road by the railway authorities, which they claimed had caused them a lot of inconvenience.

Locals said the road, which is now closed, was the main access built by the government 40 years ago.

Residents said they use this road to reach the other side of the tracks, where churches, schools and other facilities are located.

He further said that not only their houses are close to each other, but people from other wards and passers-by also use this road.

Locals said they had filed complaints with the South Western Railway offices in Vasco and Hubli, the local panchayat and the MLA.

However, residents complained that they were upset with no changes on the ground and claimed that railway expansion was continuing at a rapid pace.

He further complained that the height of the area adjacent to the railway track has been increased, causing problems to pedestrians, especially senior citizens, who used to walk on the other side.

The local people have vowed to stop the railway expansion work if their demands are not met and said they have asked the government and the panchayat to acquire land to facilitate construction of a new road for them in the same direction as the current road , so that they are not denied entry.

The local people also hit back at the railway officials as they rudely asked them to take another route. Local people said that the other route is very far and this is causing them a lot of trouble.

Local people stressed that they needed this road badly and disputed the contents of a letter with railway officials, claiming that the road was not needed.