Team Herald
MARGAO: The meeting between Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd (RVNL) and villagers of Guirdolim and Chandor ended in a deadlock with the locals demanding that all work be suspended till the Railways show all their plans and proposals. However, the rail officials on the other hand said they have no power to cancel the work as they are just mere employees.
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RVNL consultant John Sirsi clarified that they just execute the work as directed by higher authorities and advised the crowd to either get their MLA or MP to get the work stopped. Incidentally, local MLA Clafasio Dias when invited refused to attend the meeting as he was not consulted when the meeting was called.
With the villagers exposing the RVNL, general manager Shashi Bhushan Sahoo apologised for not responding to the various letters from the Guirdolim panchayat seeking information on the project.
Initially, RVNL said if the panchayat asks for information they will provide. Guirdolim sarpanch Janet Silveira showed copies of six letters written by the panchayat since 2017 seeking information on the project. “However, the Railways never replied to any of the letters,” she said.
Sahoo apologised for the lapse and assured to reply immediately. He also agreed to the people’s demand that the Railways demarcate their land by marking their boundary.
John assured to remove the mud dumped in the Guirdolim River as soon as their work is done and assured them that road proposed there will not be constructed.
“The road was supposed to be constructed for the people but if you do not want it we shall not built it,” he said but some Railways officials added that the road was envisaged for maintenance of the facilities being set up there.
“Once the Railways take possession of the acquired land they function under the Indian Railways Act and under Chapter 4 of the Act,” he said adding that the activities they can undertake are mentioned and they do not need permission or licenses from the local authorities.
Objecting to invoking the Indian Railway Act of 1989, Alleluia Gomes, a villager informed that the railway track was built by the British nearly 275 years ago and added that the place is called Nocozona meaning new khazan.
Abhijit Prabhudessai claimed that the Railways had trespassed into people’s properties as they did not acquire the land properly and alleged that the mud flats, salt marshes and sluice gates were covered without obtaining permission from the Coastal Zone Authority.
He charged that the Town and Country Planning Department’s permission was not sought to fill up low-lying land as a written permission from the Chief Town Planner is mandated by law and also claimed that permission from the Water Resources Department was also not obtained to change the course of the river.
The acquisition by the Railways was challenged by the villagers with former Guirdolim sarpanch Agostinho Antao stating that they have gone by Form I and 14 which even the Supreme Court has ruled is not a land document.
He claimed that the land acquisition has been done under Land Revenue Code, Land Acquisition Free Compensation Act and Indian Railways Act and alleged that these are means to fool the people.
Stating that mutation has been done as land is transferred from one government department to another, John said the local MLA was taken into confidence and at his request the Railways have dropped their plans to have more platforms at Chandor Railway Station and will restrict to only four.
Agostinho claimed that the trees have been cut without permission of the Forest Department. The special marking put by the department on the trees it had allowed to be cut were missing and the trees were found in the water. John admitted that leaving the trees in water was wrong on their part.
Zarina D’Cunha from Nuvem, Viriato Fernandes and Olencio Simoes from Cansaulim also spoke.
With the people demanding that the work be stopped till they are given a full explanation on the project the meeting ended in a deadlock as the railway officials failed to assure the same.
Former panchayat member of Guirdolim Fatima asked John to resign as consultant to protect his respect as IPS officer. The railway officials asked the people to take legal recourse for violations if any to which the locals agreed.
