Team Herald
MARGAO: Even as Town and Country Planning Minister Vijai Sardessai said since the Regional Plan 2021 does not show any highway passing through the village of Chandor thereby implying that the 1977 notification stands rescinded, people from Chandor said they would rejoice the declaration only when they get something in writing.
Today an impressive crowd of people from Chandor including panchayat member and former panchayat members called on Vijai along with former MLA Joaquim Alemao and his son Yuri Alemao and repeated their demand to de-notify the State highway passing through their village.
Joaquim Alemao said he was confident that his friend Vijai would solve the issue and lamented that the present Cuncolim MLA was more interested in his personal matters instead of attending to the people’s grievances.
Vijai said he agreed with the fact that a highway cannot be permitted in a heritage place like Chandor and that he had in fact proposed to have a heritage festival in Goa. “The Chief Minister also agrees that there cannot be a highway in a heritage place but he wants an alternative,” he said.
He asked the villagers to prepare a map showing the alternative to the State Highway No 8. However, the villagers pointed out to him that the alternative was already marked by the TCP on the Regional Plan 2021 which did not show it passing through Chandor.
“The Regional Plan 2021 is now notified and that means there is not State Highway passing through your village,” he said and added that the State Highway 8 will have the alignment as shown in the Regional Plan that is notified.
However, the villagers pointed out that even the Regional Plan 2001 did not show the State Highway passing through their village and yet the TCP department had written to the Excise Commissioner that the highway was passing through Chandor.
“Then we shall get that letter issued by the TCP withdrawn,” said Vijai while also asking the villagers to write to the TCP on the matter and assuring that they would be given the right answer in writing.
Domnic Mendes, co-convener of the village group while welcoming the statement said they would rejoice only when they get something in writing that the State Highway 8 does not pass through their village.
Chandor Cavorim Sarpanch Celina Furtado, panchayat members Derrick Pereira, Edward D’Silva, former sarpanchas Lucy D’Cruz, Marina Mendes, Susane Dias and former deputy Sarpanch Marcelo Fernandes along with former sarpanchas of Guirdolim Agostinho Antao and Sonia Fernandes were amongst those who met Vijai.
