26 Feb 2021  |   05:55am IST

Oppn MLAs made to wait outside Mormugao Dy Collector’s office

Legislators had gone to inform official regarding land acquisition for double tracking project
Oppn MLAs made to wait outside Mormugao Dy Collector’s office

Team Herald


Vasco: Leader of the Opposition Digambar Kamat, Goa Forward Party chief Vijai Sardesai, Curtorim MLA Alexio Reginaldo, Saligao MLA Jayesh Salgaonkar along with Sanguem MLA Prasad Gaonkar who had come to visit the Mormugao Dy Collector regarding land acquisition under the Railways Act, were made to wait for over fifteen minutes outside the locked gates of the Dy Collector's office in the presence of police personnel on Thursday evening.

The legislators were made to wait outside as personal hearings were being held with regard to the land acquisition for railway double tracking.

Speaking to the media, Kamat said, "We could have been asked to sit in the office rather than making us stand outside the office."

Kamat said that he recently found a letter dated 2018 by the Ministry of Railways to the Chief Secretary of Goa stating that for land acquisition there has to be an Act and land acquisition has to be done 

completely and not in sections by using various Acts which is illegal. 

"We met the South Goa Collector and informed her about this, she told us that she will consult with the Revenue Secretary and will examine it," Kamat said.

He added, "Knowing about the personal hearing for land acquisition in Mormugao, we came here to inform this to the Dy Collector Mormugao. There was an issue in October 2020 during the personal hearing and he had written to the government. The government had asked him to go ahead with the personal hearing. We updated him about this new development which he said he will consult with his higher authorities."

Kamat slammed the Dy Collector of Mormugao for keeping the legislators waiting outside his office for more than fifteen minutes and not accomodating them in his chamber. 

He said he will take this issue with the higher authorities and will deal with it seriously.

Goa Forward Party chief Vijai Sardesai asked, why there is a haste for completion of the double tracking related to land acquisition when some legalities and issues need to be sorted out? 

"When the elected representatives are coming to bring certain issues to the notice, they are being treated in an ill way, I feel this is being done on someone's instructions," Sardesai said.

When asked whether he will take this issue to next level, Sardesai replied in the affirmative and added that he will take this issue during the upcoming Assembly session.


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