CHORAO BRIDGE STILL A DREAM; LOCALS FEEL BETRAYED

SHRIKRISHNA HALDANKAR  

CHORAO

Chorao may be considered a quiet and peaceful island to the outsider, but a closer interaction with residents will reveal a tension which has been simmering in the place over a project promised to them, but is yet to be delivered.

The prolonged delay in constructing a bridge linking Chorao with Salvador-do-Mundo has left Chorao residents feeling betrayed by their elected representatives.

Such has been the resentment among residents of Chorao, that they unanimously passed an unusual resolution at a Chorao gram sabha on March 8. They have decided to suspend all further ordinary gram sabhas in the village; till the panchayat convenes a special gram sabha to discuss the issue of proposed Chorao Bridge.

Their anger at the gram sabha was fuelled following claims by the Goa State Infrastructure Development Corporation’s (GSIDC) that the land acquisition process of the proposed Chorao Bridge was still under process and on completion, work of the bridge would commence.

This was stated by GSIDC in its letter dated February 12 to the Chodan-Madel Panchayat. The same information was provided by Chodan Panchayat to United Citizen of Chorao (UCC) under Right to Information on March 5, when the association had asked the panchayat to explain its delay in convening a special gram sabha to discuss the proposed Chorao Bridge.

In the gram sabha on dated November 9, 2014, the villagers had sought to know the status of the proposed Chorao Bridge, but the members were told that the panchayat was unaware about status of the project. The residents then unanimously decided to hold a special gram sabha at St Bartholomew’s School hall within a month.

On the same day, the unhappy villagers and UCC members convened a large meeting at St Bartholomew’s School hall, Chorao, and took a pledge to fight for the bridge. 

When no attempts were made to convene the special gram sabha, the agitated villagers and UCC members conducted a meeting on February 16, to ascertain the status of the special gram sabha.

Incidentally, the UCC asked the panchayat for details under Right to Information Act, the panchayat sent a letter dated February 11 to the GSIDC, asked the status of the proposed bridge. The next day, the panchayat got a reply from the GSIDC stating that land acquisition process was in progress.

Locals recalled that assurances for the proposed Chorao Bridge were made during the Assembly elections in March 2012. The BJP had reportedly promised locals that the Chorao Bridge would be accorded top priority if the BJP candidate was elected to power.

Going by assurances of former chief minister Manohar Parrikar at public meetings in Chorao before and after the elections, the residents were told that foundation stone would be laid within six months of the Assembly elections. Parrikar had told the Chorao residents that the bridge would be constructed within two years. Three years have passed since promises were made in March, 2012 and yet, the Chorao Bridge is still a dream. 

“Even after three years, the government is yet to complete the land acquisition process. Then, how long will it take the government to complete the Chorao Bridge,” asked a UCC member.

At the Chorao gram sabha on March 8, residents confronted the panchayat members as soon as Chorao Panchayat Secretary Rupesh Halankar read out the minutes of the last gram sabha (November 9, 2014).

The angry residents sought demanded an explanation from Acting Sarpanch Shambha Kalangutkar regarding the panchayat’s failure to convene a special gram sabha to discuss the proposed bridge.

Former sarpanch Premanand Mahambre then tried to defend the sarpanch and asked the villagers to pass a new resolution, so that a 20-member delegation from Chorao could meet Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar at Panjim. 

The unhappy villagers immediately shot down his proposal and reminded Mahambre that Parrikar had assured them the bridge way back in 2012. The residents insisted that the BJP leaders should visit the island and meet the residents to explain the delay behind the proposed bridge.

The residents then passed a resolution that the panchayat should convene a special gram sabha within a month to discuss the issue and that Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar, local MLA Anant Shet and other officers concerned should be invited to that special gram sabha to disclose the government’s plans for the proposed Chorao Bridge.

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