Team Herald
PANJIM: Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar on Monday assured residents of Ward 1 of Cuncolim Panzorconi that they will be taken into confidence before the proposed route of the NH17 is finalised.
Resident of Cuncolim Panzorconi, along with former Ministers Joaquim Alemao and Churchill Alemao, met the Chief Minister and Town and Country Planning Minister (TCP) Vijai Sardesai on Monday, to raise objections to the proposed widening of NH17 in their locality.
“Nothing is finalised. The road alignment is also not finalised, we will take the locals into confidence before going ahead,” Parrikar said speaking to reporters.
Joaquim Alemao said the people were happy with the meeting. “We came to see the route of the road widening, and we are happy and so to the locals as Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar assured that the locals will be taken into confidence before going ahead with the expansion plans. I have full faith in Parrikar,” he said.
“The people have apprehensions that the by-pass through the residential area will force them to give up their houses. To clear their doubts, we have spoken to Chief Minister and National Highway Authority,” he added.
Meanwhile, residents of Dandeavaddo in Chinchinim village of Velim constituency have been demanding a bypass on grounds that NH-17 has made the life of the local residents miserable.
The people of Cuncolim and Dandeavaddo-Chinchinim had earlier questioned the Chief Minister and PWD Minister Ramkrishan (Sudin) Dhavalikar on why the Centre is not keen on having bypasses on NH-17 passing through these densely populated areas as per the alignment earlier approved by a consultant, even as the Union Surface Transport Ministry boasts of allotting thousands of crores of rupees on highway expansion.
