VASCO: The Villagers Action Committee Against Doubling of South Western Railway Track group urged Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant to cancel the resurvey and land acquisition for doubling of railway track and also take fresh decision to scrap the doubling of railway tracks project as people are against the coal transportation from their villages.
At a press conference, an activist from Arossim, Anthony D’Silva said, “During COVID1-9 pandemic, the Goa government has decided to go ahead with the resurvey and land acquisition which should be stopped.”
He said, “The State government should take a decision to cancel the re-survey of the land near the railway track which will be acquired for doubling of railway track project.”
D’Silva said the government should take new decisions to scrap the doubling of track project, as it will affect the 500-year-old heritage chapel as well as ancestral houses which are located near the existing railway tracks.
D’Silva added that in 2017 during the public hearing on coal and doubling of railway track, the locals from across the State had opposed the doubling of railway track project in Goa.
Later, Orville Dorado Rodrigues, head of the Villagers Action Committee Against Doubling of South Western Railway Track Group said, “We had several meetings with the Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant over the issue of doubling of railway track. We also received assurance from the CM that the decision on doubling of railway project will be done only after re-survey of the railway track area is being done by taking people into confidence.”
He said, “The initial re-survey was planned on July 2, but many locals were not informed about the confirmation of this survey. Survey now has been scheduled for July 7.”
