Team Herald
VASCO: PWD Minister Sudin Dhavalikar assured to provide appropriate compensation to the farmers from Cortalim for the loss of paddy crop due to the ongoing road expansion work of NH-17 at Arvale-Cortalim.
He also assured farmers to resolve all the issues placed before him by the farmers and other Cortalim villagers by September 30 2017.
In the past, government has helped farmers and other project-affected residents from Agassaim as well as Cortalim village by reducing the width of flyover by 30 meters only when the requirement as per proposed expansion works of NH-17 is 60 meters, he said.
This was done with sole intention to pass on the benefit to the farmers and others project-affected land owners. Now the government wants to complete the project but taking people into confidence and hence as demanded by the farmers government will provide appropriate compensation (calculated for period of one year) to all 22 plus other farmers for their loss of paddy crops due to ongoing road expansion works of NH-17 at Arvale-Cortalim, Dhavalikar said assuring the project-affected farmers during a grievance meeting initiated by Cortalim MLA Alina Saldanha at Cortalim on Wednesday.
Several project affected farmers and other concerned Cortalim villagers besides the Cortalim village body attended the meeting.
Earlier, during the grievance meeting a concerned villager Jude Carvalho brought to the notice of PWD Minister and other officials that the ongoing road expansion works of NH-17 has been taken up without proper care due to which motorists have been facing threat of accidents as there is also no illumination in the area.
He also informed that the all excavated mud from the field which was dumped on Kesarval slope have washed down in rains and have blocked the gutters at Vollant and added that fields have been damaged and all irrigation channels were affected and still no compensation has been given to the farmers for their loss of paddy.
Similar grievance were raised by other villagers as well as Cortalim Sarpanch Sania Barreto, who also questioned to PWD Minister as to why they had failed to provide any details or provide a copy of NH-17 project.
After giving a patience hearing, Dhavalikar assured that all maintenance works of fields and nullahs that was affected due to expansion works of NH-17 at Arvale-Cortalim would be completed by September 30 2017. He said that all necessary directions like illumination, cleaning of fields, clearing of gutters would be given and all such works would be completed in a month’s time.
Alina said Dhavalikar touched all issues related to the construction of Zuari Bridge, its route and the problems linked with the route. It was only after his assurance for proper compensation all project affected people today have got a sigh of relief.
Other project-affected people were also asked to submit their name and other details if their names were not added in the earlier list prepared by the PWD for compensation, she added.
