Bhomkars pin hopes on Gadkari to resolve road widening impasse

Locals want the bypass to save village heritage; ready to even approach the SC
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Team Herald

PONDA: After news that the Government of India has sanctioned Rs 557 crore to build 9.6-km stretch from Ponda to Bhoma, the residents of Bhoma pinned hopes on Union Minister for Road Transport and Highway Nitin Gadkari that he would find a solution to their problem on road widening issue at Bhoma.

The villagers however are firm that the government should construct a bypass and avoid dividing the village by a highway.

“If need arises we are prepared to approach the Supreme Court to save our village culture. The highway would divide the village into two parts affecting their temples, festivals and age-old traditions,” said Sanjay Naik, who is spearheading the agitation.

The Bhomkars are opposing four-lane widening of the existing road in the middle of the village and had even courted arrest. They had conveyed their objection to the Union Minister through South Goa MP Capt Viriato Fernandes and the Minister had assured him that he would find a solution at Bhoma.

“Therefore we are hoping Union Minister Nitin Gadkari will solve the Bhoma road widening issue. Our demand is for a bypass in Bhoma in order to save village heritage, culture, temples, religious rituals and festivals," Naik said.

“Luckily Bhomkars have accessed some important documents from the Archives Department that establish the fact that deities and a traditional lake have been recorded in Portuguese documents, giving evidence of existence of more than 400 years, which is enough to save that heritage. Our legal battle will be based on these documents,” he said.

As per the plan according to sources in the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI), the road would be elevated at Bhoma with pillars and that it would not touch any temples at Bhoma, only four houses and road side shops would be affected, however the Bhomkars weren't happy with it. They feel it could damage their heritage sites, temples and not four but several houses and many of them have no ownership documents. The Bhomkars also refused to accept compensation for land acquisition when they were served notices for it recently.

According to Naik, the road in the first phase is 9.5-km-long that goes up to Kali Mati. “We are not disturbed by reading the news as we have documents to prove our heritage has a history of more than 400 years. The government had claimed that Bhoma land acquisition was done long back in 1971 and if that is the case then why is the government issuing notices to those landlords for compensation”, he questioned.

Officials in NHAI stated that at Bhoma, the proposed road is elevated road with pillars while, the sources in PWD said the Ponda-Bhoma highway would be built in two phases. First phase involves Ponda to Kalimati-Bhoma and second Phase Kali Mati to Corlim. In Bhoma, the highway would be an elevated road with pillars and would not touch any temple. Only four houses and some roadside shops would be cleared, however they would be relocated or compensated with alternative spaces. Similarly four to five houses would be razed at Corlim. The land acquisition process is also in final stage of completion.

Bhoma Sarpanch Damodar Naik said the village panchayat had forwarded all resolutions and objections to concerned authorities including NHAI and the Chief Minister. He said the panchayat has already declared that it is supporting the demand of the villagers to construct a bypass. He said as per information from NHAI, four houses and some roadside shops would be demolished for construction of elevated road widening.

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