11 Dec 2019 | 05:59am IST
Western Bypass issues cleared: PWD
Minister finalises plan with Benaulim MLA Churchill and panchayat; Meeting with CM on Monday
MARGAO: PWD Minister Deepak Pauskar has announced that the dispute of the 2.7-km stretch of the Western Bypass Highway is finally over. The Minister inspected the stretch of the road work along with the Benaulim MLA Churchill Alemao and the PWD officials. A meeting with the Chief Minister over the work of this road has been scheduled on Monday.
After a long meeting with the Benaulim MLA Churchill Alemao, Pauskar inspected the site of Western Bypass road near the Karle estate. The minister said the issues of the road construction can be said to be over. "An additional tender of Rs 154 crore for the work of the 2.7 kms of the Western Bypass road will be tendered and fund will be sought from the Central Government for the same. If not the State will fund this work," said PWD Minister Pauskar.
Benaulim MLA Churchill Alemao said, "There are box culverts which the Panchayat and the senior citizens from the locality have demanded. This is to avoid the flooding of these areas and the Minister has agreed to show us how he plans to do the same and then go ahead with the work of completing the stretch."
The PWD Minister said, "We will do the work of the National Highway all over Goa with the consent of the people. We understand that the water level here rises in the rainy season and we are taking necessary steps accordingly when constructing this road," said Deepak.
The PWD has also decided to open one lane of the Western bypass road from Margao Fish Market till Nuvem to avoid the crowding of the road at the Nuvem Church junction and other areas.
Meanwhile, former sarpanch of Benaulim Royla Fernandes along with villagers came to the inspection site and requested the PWD Minister not to give up hope that the road can be built over stilts in the areas
chronic to flooding. Though the PWD Minister said it's not possible they were called by the Minister for the meeting with the Chief Minister on Monday. "We are not against the Western bypass road, all we want is the road to be on stilts to save the catchment areas and the scarce remaining fields of Benaulim," said Royla.
