VASCO: The villagers of Cansaulim have strongly opposed the railway authorities acquiring their ancestral lands for laying tracks, without their consent and accused the State government for failing to attend to their problems.
The villagers of Cansaulim opposed the railway authorities and the Directorate of Settlements Land and Land Records to acquire their lands and even the service road.
The villagers alleged that the South Western Railway (SWR) were laying tracks to benefit the transportation of coal.
The villagers said that the railways had not only stopped acquiring the setback areas of the existing tracks but had crossed the limits and were now trying to trespass into the private properties by breaking the compound walls.
Some of the villagers complained that their land has been acquired and trees have been cut but they have not received any kind of compensation towards it. The movement of railway wagons from villages and blowing of horns most of the time has disturbed the peace of the villagers and regular Masses held in churches, said villagers
However, a representative of the SWR said that the railways will start the work of taking possession of the acquired lands from next week. The official further claimed that the service road existing in the village falls under the railway property and that the villagers will be provided a new road after acquiring the lands for laying tracks.
