Phal Dessai takes credit for improving roads in Sanguem

Margao: Sanguem MLA Subhash Phal Dessai on Wednesday said that he has connected every remote village in the constituency with a motorable road during his tenure .

He made the statement during the launch of hot-mixing of a road at Mangal, a hilltop hamlet in the Cavre-Pirla panchayat area.

“There were no roads to many remote villages before I became MLA of Sanguem. All these roads came up during my tenure,” he said.

The MLA also took a veiled swipe at political opponents expected to campaign in the area. “With elections approaching, many politicians will come to you. Ask them where they were all these years, and why they did not turn up for the last five years. I visit this place at least two to three times every year to know the grievances of the villagers,” he said.

Phal Dessai said there was no road to the village as recently as 2008. “We tried constructing one, but the forest department damaged it three times since part of the stretch fell under its jurisdiction. No contractor was willing to take up the work. Its steep gradient requires a specialised roller to carry out the work,” he said.

To break the deadlock, Phal Dessai said the road work was split into two sections. While the undisputed stretch was completed without difficulty, he deposited funds for the contested portion and asked the contractor to proceed.

“In case of any eventuality, I would bear the loss,” he told the contractor. The road was subsequently hot-mixed after he became MLA in 2012, he added.