Team Herald
MARGAO: The Benaulim village panchayat on Friday discussed an action plan to file a petition in the court, with their demand for the Western Bypass in Benaulim to be built on stilts.
“The advocate we are working with has asked for one week’s time to study the matter. Based on that legal opinion, we shall take an appropriate decision on how to proceed. Everyone has accepted this,” said Sarpanch Xavier Pereira , after a meeting convened for all stakeholders. The Sarpanch had also invited resource person Avinash Tavares, who explained that the panchayat was still carrying out research and was in the process of collecting data that is required by their advocate, which is why they have not yet approached the courts.
Tavares appealed to the members to help them obtain information pertaining to the affected farmers of Benaulim, whose fields would be destroyed if the bypass is constructed via embankments. Questions were also raised as to why the farmers had failed to approach the court in their own capacity, considering that their livelihood would be worst hit.
At the end of the nearly-hour-long discussion, it was decided to also have a plan B in place wherein if the first plan with the advocate meets an obstacle, they at least have the draft petition prepared, which they can ask another lawyer to file in the court.
Regarding complaints about land filling, Tavares said it is the District Collector who issues the conversion sanads and that the Collector should have taken the panchayat into confidence or sought the opinion of the Biodiversity Board.
Speaking to media persons, committee member John Barreto said they had put their views forward as citizens, while Royla Fernandes insisted that time is of the essence as the reclamation work for the bypass had already started.
