Team Herald
VASCO: Following protests by Agassaim residents over the new parallel Zuari Bridge, the villagers of Cortalim-Quelossim Village too have expressed their apprehension over losing their houses for this much-needed infrastructure project.
According to the Cortalim-Quelossim Sarpanch Hilario Figueiredo, till date Panchayat has no information about the number of houses to be demolished in the village for the construction of the new Zuari Bridge cum flyover passing Cortalim Village. He said there is no clarity on how many houses have been earmarked for demolition under the new allignement of Zuari Bridge and till date not a single document has been received by the Panchayat on the project which makes them feel that the government is trying to take up the project without taking locals into confidence.
“First of all, I want to clarify that People of Cortalim-Quelossim Village as well as the Panchayat body are not opposing the Zuari Bridge Project but at the same time it was the responsibility of the concern officials to keep the local body informed as we have no answers to the questions asked by our villagers,” Figueiredo said.
He further added that “any public project should be taken up after taking people into confidence, which was not done for this crucial project. It is also disappointing that, as a local body we should get a copy of the plan but for reasons best known to the authorities concerned, our rights were curtailed,” he said.
Asked whether the Panchayat body has physically seen the plan and whether the officials have explained them about the new alignment, Figueiredo said, “Though the department officials never even bothered to call us for taking a glance at the project plan, however, after we approached them, the concerned officials gave us an opportunity to see the project alignment plan.
The official also informed us that no new structures would be demolished in our village and only those structures which have come up in the already acquired portion of road alignment and was subsequently encroached by the locals would be demolished.
However, since the time Agassaim villagers have raised the issue, even Cortalim villagers have come under panic and we need clarification and specific information as to how many people would be affected” he said and further added that “Today, we have prepared a letter to the PWD requesting them to furnish a copy of Zuari Bridge-cum-flyover alignment plan and we are hopeful that the same would be fulfilled. Also the issue would witness heated debate in the next gram sabha meeting and my request to the authorities is to respect the sentiments of villagers and Panchayat body to avoid any confusion in future.”
