Team Herald
MARGAO: In response to former Union Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu’s statement that any project should be discussed with local people before its launch, residents of Velsao have supported his view, insisting that the government must seek public consent before acquiring land for development purposes.
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One of the affected residents, Sandra Rodrigues, pointed out that the mud filling that has taken place has raised the ground level of their former traditional public access and motorable road so high that it is even above their compound wall. For context, the road was previously at the level of the base of their compound wall.
Rodrigues also pointed out that the area on which mud filling has taken place, parallel to the railway track, was not acquired by the railways.
She lamented that she has not been able to go out for the last many days. She is landlocked, and there is no way for her to move her vehicle out of the compound either.
Other residents have raised grave concerns about the quality of life, given that they are cut off from receiving medical aid, for instance, especially for the elderly. They also face great difficulty in performing simple tasks like getting in or out of their houses, which can pose further physical risks to them.
Goencho Ekvott Secretary Olencio Simoes also said that, as per the law, a public hearing was mandatory given the huge cost of the project, which is in crores of rupees.
He added that the Railways and State government have used selective laws when it suits them to try and bypass the public hearing. He said land was acquired using an old Act, whereby it was taken without consulting the locals or seeking their consent, while compensation was given under another Act.
He also lamented that double-tracking is part of one larger Sagarmala national project to facilitate the transport and storage of coal, and Goa is only being used as a means to an end without caring for the people, heritage homes, or the environment.
