Lamgao gutter cleaning halted, locals allege political pressure

Times News NetworkBicholim: Residents of Lamgao ward, under the Bicholim Municipal Council (BMC), have expressed concern over the sudden stoppage of pre-monsoon work in the ward after labourers were diverted elsewhere, allegedly due to political pressure.Locals said the work began on Monday following repeated requests. Labourers opened and started cleaning the ward’s choked gutters, but the work was halted the very next day, they said. According to the residents, the contractor received a phone call, allegedly from a BMC official, instructing him to stop the work and vacate the site immediately.Sachin Mayekar, a resident, said that as soon as the contractor received the call, he asked the labourers to stop work and leave. He added that the workers then closed the open gutters and left, with the drains still clogged.Mayekar warned that without timely pre-monsoon cleaning, residents would face serious problems during the monsoon, noting that Lamgao is an old ward that requires proper attention. He said he could not understand why Lamgao was being treated unfairly.Residents have urged the BMC’s authorities to resume gutter cleaning at the earliest. BMC chairperson Vijaykumar Natekar said he was not aware of who ordered the diversion of labourers, but assured that he would look into the matter.