TEAM HERALD
teamherald@herald-goa.com
MARGAO: Sao Jose Areal villagers in one voice on Sunday rejected Konkan Railway Corporation’s proposal for acquisition of additional land for a new crossing station and a by-pass line connecting the Konkan Railway with SW Railway line in the village.
The special gram chaired by Sarpanch Julio Monteiro and attended by local MLA Benjamin D’Silva witnessed a huge turnout of villagers as they expressed their anger against the previous Congress government lead by chief minister DIgamber Kamat for turning a deaf ear to their grievances.
They were highly critical of the previous government for the wide spread land acquisition for various project in the village. South Goa MP Francisco Sardinha also came in for criticism for his absence at the gram sabha despite being invited for the meeting. They have threatened to stop him entering the village and boycott Congress candidate from holding meetings at the forth coming Lok Sabha in protest against the MP’s failure to listen to their grievances.
Earlier, Sarpanch Monteiro read the letter written by KR approaching the panchayat with request for cooperation for speedy completion of the proposed land acquisition.
Incidentally MLA Silva who spoke after the gram sabha was adjourned stated that as promised when contesting he was with villagers opposing the land acquisition and further informed to have taken up the issue with chief minister (CM) who had kept same on hold. However the MLA cautioned that that as far as land already acquired by railway that it may not be possible to stop, promising to take steps to stop any further additional land acquisition.
In reference to migrant issue raised at the meeting, the MLA said that it was the responsibility of every individual and not just the government, to control the influx of migrants, arguing that the locals were themselves were renting rooms to the outsiders.
