MARGAO: In a major boost to the people’s movement against the construction of the western bypass in Benaulim on embankments, the Cana-Benaulim village panchayat resolved in its first ordinary meeting to back the villagers’ demand for constructing the bypass on stilts instead.
Amongst the many issues discussed at the meeting, the panchayat body led by Sarpanch Xavier Pereira passed various resolutions to support the locals’ demand.
The first resolution was adopting a panchayat-constituted committee headed by the Sarpanch, which will concentrate on the bypass issue.
It may be recalled that at a special gramsabha held earlier this year, a resolution had been passed to form a committee consisting of locals and panch members. The newly-elected panchayat body also agreed to take forward what the gramsabha had resolved – appointing a hydrologist to conduct a study provided all the terms and conditions between the panchayat and the consultant can be agreed upon.
The panchayat body has decided to ask the hydrologist Simtesh Talwalkar to send his quotations, which they will then send to the Directorate of Panchayat for financial approval given that panchayat funds will be used for the same.
The panchayat further resolved to use that study to approach the courts and the State government departments such as PWD to push for their demand for the bypass to be built on stilts.
The panchayat is ready to approach the Supreme Court if needed. The Water Resources Department (WRD), which had recommended that the State government conduct a study via a hydrologist, has already warned of imminent flooding and potential disaster to the surrounding areas if the bypass is built on embankments.
