MARGAO: Cuncolim MLA Clafacio Dias while leading a peaceful morcha of around 500 people in Chandor on Sunday threatened to stage a rail roko if the Indian Railways did not respond positively within a month to the people’s demand for an underpass at the present level crossing at Guirdolim next to the Chandor Railway Station.
Addressing the gathered crowd at the Chandor grounds before the morcha, he thanked the people for electing him as their MLA and also for gathering in such huge numbers for the morcha.
He revealed that he had discussed this matter with Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar who he said had agreed to take up the project on priority and added that having the underpass or an over bridge at the existing level crossing was a priority for him too.
The memorandum signed by Guirdolim Sarpanch Vince Peixoto and addressed to the General Manager, South Western Railways was read out to the gathered crowd. The memorandum pointed out how the people have been raising this demand for years with no political party helping them at all due to which they have been forced to take this drastic action.
While pointing out the hardships faced by the people due to the blocking of the crossing for train movement, it was feared that these troubles would be multiplied with the double tracking of the line and hence demanded that the people be provided with an underpass before the double tracking commences.
The crowd then marched to the Chandor Railway Station where the memorandum was handed over to the Station Master to be delivered to the South Western Railways’ General Manager. Copies of the memorandum have been marked to Railways Minister, Chief Minister of Goa, Lok Sabha MP, Rajya Sabha MP, MLAs of Curtorim, Cuncolim, Velim, Quepem, Curchorem, Sanvordem, Sanguem, Zilla Panchayat member representing Guirdolim and Chandor Station Master.
