Team Herald
PANJIM: The High Court of Bombay at Goa has dismissed the petitions challenging the land acquisition for the construction of the Mopa link road.
The order, pronounced on Wednesday evening, came after conducting a series of hearings based on four writ petitions filed by a group of villagers from three villages in Pernem taluka, demanding a fair compensation for their lands while also challenging the process of land acquisition under the National Highways Act.
The villagers further demanded that compensation should not be released under the National Highways Act but they should be entitled for compensation under Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency Act.
The petitioners had also challenged the felling of trees and inclusion of lands to facilitate the Mopa link road project. The government authorities in their submission to the High Court opined that the project is needed to ensure smooth commuting of travellers to and from the Mopa International Airport that will commence soon.
The Central government, one of the respondents, had contended that the proposed link road is necessary for better connectivity to the airport. The High Court had closed the matter for order after concluding the hearing last month.