Team Herald
MARGAO: In a show of unwavering determination, villagers from Velsao, Pale, Issorcim, Arossim, Cansaulim, and Mollo documented their objections against railway double tracking before the Inspector of Survey and Land Records (ISLR) Court in Margao.
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Despite the court not granting an immediate stay on construction activities, the villagers, who set aside their Three Kings Feast celebrations to attend the hearing, demonstrated their resilience by ensuring their concerns about incomplete property demarcation and environmental damage were officially recorded.
Max De Souza, a senior citizen from Velsao, spoke on behalf of the assembled villagers. Along with Velsao Sarpanch Maria Diana Gouveia and Goencho Ekvott (GE) founder member Orville Dourado Rodrigues, De Souza pressed for an immediate stay on construction activities. The villagers’ persistence led to the judge permitting them to record their objections in the log book before adjourning the matter to January 24.
The hearing comes amid tensions between railway authorities and the locals. What was meant to be a Happy New Year for the villagers of Mollo turned bitter when South Western Railways and Rail Vikas Nigam Limited, allegedly supported by the authorities, demolished age-old structures that served as the sole source of livelihood for the residents. Pedro Rodrigues, an affected resident from Mollo Survey No 18/1, demanded an immediate halt to construction activities until a fair settlement is reached. These demolitions occurred despite pending formalities in the demarcation process and verbal instructions to railway officials to wait until Monday’s hearing.
Bruno Pereira from Issorcim claimed that RVNL contractors were dumping truckloads of mud on tree canopies in his private forest at Survey No 8/1, Kholl, without proper demarcation. The timing of today’s hearing had already drawn criticism from locals, as it coincided with the Three Kings Feast celebrations at Our Lady of Remedios Chapel , Cuelim, where thousands traditionally gather at the hillock for worship.
The controversy deepened after a government’s demarcation exercise conducted on December 20-21, when locals alleged that railway workers had tampered with official markers. Despite verbal instructions to railway officials to pause work until today’s hearing, construction activities continued, leading to multiple confrontations between workers and residents. During recent demolitions, affected locals reported being held back and confined, allegations that railway officials attempted to deny.
“We are dissatisfied with the mere adjournment when we sought a stay on construction activities,” expressed frustrated villagers after the hearing, reflecting the growing tension between development initiatives and local heritage preservation in the coastal belt.
The demolitions and ongoing construction work have reignited fierce opposition from locals, who continue to cite environmental damage, heritage loss, and violations of due process as their primary concerns.
