PANJIM, JULY 30
The Environment Minister Aleixo Sequeira has written to the Chief Minister Digambar Kamat and Revenue Minister Jose Philip D’Souza asking them to put on hold land acquisition proceedings initiated for expansion of NH-17 and NH-4 for want of clarity on alignments.
Sequeira informed the Goa Assembly on Friday that he has asked the government to keep in abeyance land acquisition proceedings for expansion of both highways as there was no clarity on the alignments when the issue was raised during “Zero Hour” by the Leader of the Opposition, Manohar Parrikar along with Mapusa MLA, Francis D’Souza and Curtorim MLA, Aleixo Reginald Lourenco.
The Minister further told the House that Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) has also been directed to keep in abeyance further proceedings of Environmental Public Hearing (EPH) until all details are clarified.
He said he has received numerous representations which indicated that there was no clarity on the proposed project, besides vital information on the width of the proposed highway including service roads was not available.
