PANJIM: With several NGOs, villagers and citizens taking up the battle to ‘Save Mollem’, all eyes are now on the visit of the Supreme Court’s Central Empowered Committee (CEC) that will arrive in Goa on Wednesday to inspect the contentious linear infrastructure projects passing through the protected areas of Bhagwan Mahaveer Wildlife Sanctuary and Mollem National Park.
The CEC headed by P V Jayakrishnan and members Amarnath Shetty, Mahendra Vyas and amicus curiae ADN Rao will be on four-day visit to Goa from Wednesday evening, in connection with the site visits of the proposed double tracking of the railway line, power transmission line and expansion of the national highway. The will conclude on January 24.
The CEC visit is slated following a complaint filed by Goa Foundation, against the approvals granted to the infrastructure projects by the Standing Committee of the National Board of Wildlife (NBW).
As per the schedule, the team will arrive in Goa January 20 evening and will halt at Bondla. On January 21, the CEC will conduct a site visit of the proposed four laning of the National Highway 4A falling in Goa and Karnataka and the proposed alignment of Goa Tamnar Transmission Line in Kali tiger reserve and forest areas falling in Karnataka.
This will be followed by discussion with the concerned officials of Karnataka government and project proponents.
The CEC team will inspect the proposed double tracking of the railway line from Tinaghat to Kulem on January 22.
Next day, the team will hold site inspection of the proposed LILO of Goa Tamnar Transmission Line project and will hold discussions with authorities of Mormugao Port Trust (MPT) and the project proponents.
During the hearings held in December, the CEC had come down heavily on the State and Central authorities pointing out that it has received a large number of complaints against these projects, which are being strongly opposed by the locals.
