Calangute infrastructure works have come under scrutiny after a 32-year-old man died following a fall onto exposed construction rods near the market, prompting Congress workers to demand faster completion and immediate safety measures from the Goa State Infrastructure Development Corporation (GSIDC).
The incident reportedly occurred around midnight near Calangute market. According to Congress workers, the man remained trapped with an iron rod stuck in his body until around 1.30am because people at the site were unable to remove him. The 108 ambulance then took him first to Candolim Primary Health Centre, followed by Mapusa district hospital and Goa Medical College, where he died at about 4.30am, they alleged.
The workers held a protest after the incident and sought compensation for the victim’s family. They also called on GSIDC to expedite ongoing infrastructure works and ensure that construction areas are secured to prevent further accidents, particularly in locations used by pedestrians and local residents at night.
Congress’s Prasad Shirodkar alleged that responsibility for the tragedy lay with GSIDC chairperson and local MLA Michael Lobo. The allegation was made in the context of the ongoing works in Calangute, but the material supplied does not include a response from Lobo or GSIDC to the claims.
Former MLA Agnelo Fernandes also demanded action against Lobo. Fernandes referred to earlier protests by locals and activists over what he described as haphazard and illegal underground electricity-cabling work in nearby Candolim. He alleged that police had been called during those protests and questioned why an offence had not been registered against Lobo after the Calangute incident.
Former Arpora-Nagoa sarpanch Roshan Redkar alleged that Lobo had regularly visited the worksite and questioned why the contractor had not been directed to install safety measures. Redkar called for Chief Ministerial action against the GSIDC chairperson.
The accounts released through the protest describe concerns about exposed construction material, worksite protection, emergency access and the movement of pedestrians around active infrastructure projects. The supplied report does not state whether police have registered a case, whether GSIDC has ordered an inquiry or whether the contractor has been directed to secure the site. Congress workers’ demands for compensation and accelerated completion remain pending in the available account.
