Team Herald
MARGAO: The recent land acquisition order issued by the Mormugao Deputy Collector and Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) for the much-opposed railway double tracking work met with stiff opposition
from the affected landowners and the Goencho Ekvott (GE) who submitted their objections on Monday.
GE and the affected landowners submitted their objections to the award published by office of the Mormugao Dy Collector and SDM who is the land acquisition authority in the matter.
GE Founder member Orville Dourado Rodrigueso informed the media that they had submitted a separate memorandum to the Mormugo Dy Collector asking that an order be issued for the immediate stopping of double tracking work ongoing at Dando in Velsao village.
Rodrigues pointed out that the South Western Railway (SWR) that is carrying out the double tracking work through the central agency Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL), had not responded to the issue that had been raised by villagers and land owners, who had demanded that a 10-metre-long right of way space be kept on either side of the railway track as SWR has no title to this land.
“Therefore, Goenho Ekvott has demanded that RVNL stop the illegal construction of a road by felling trees and dumping mud in low-lying areas of Velsao and drop the land acquisition proceedings failing which law and order situation can arise in the village,” said Rodrigues.
Regarding their objections filed against the land acquisition, GE member Olencio Simoes, said they had mentioned that the Supreme Court had its order dated May 9, 2022 revoked doubling of the existing railway line from Castlerock (Karnataka) to Kulem (Goa) on the grounds that there are better alternative ports like Krishnapatnam in east coast available with better rail connectivity for transport of goods to and from the industrial belt of northern Karnataka and that the capacity of the same is yet to be fully utilised.
Simoes elaborated that the Supreme Court’s order had further stated that a third railway line from Toranagallu Junction to Krishnapatnam Port would be a better alternative than the construction of a second line connecting Mormugao Port to the industrial belt in Bellary district.
“The entire land acquisition (proceedings) for doubling of the railway has lapsed as the (original) publication has crossed two years and seven months, which initially had to be completed within 12 months (from the date of publication) and therefore the entire process is null and void,” said Simoes, while explaining what was wrong with the final land acquisition order.
“Moreover, the Deputy Collector of Mormugao has used different ACTs, namely, the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013, and Railway Act, 1989 to desperately acquire our pristine land for acquisition for doubling of railway which
itself is arbitrary in nature,” Simoes added.
In a related matter, GE also demanded the resignation of Chief Minister Pramod Sawant for failing to uphold the law and protect the interest of his State. It may be recalled that for the last few years, there have been wide-spread protests across the State against the double tracking project and two other infrastructure linear projects on the grounds that it causes massive destruction to the wildlife and biodiversity of the State as well as devastation to human settlements.
In the case of the double -tracking project, not only ancestral houses and heritage structures would be affected, but the people who live by the existing railway tracks would be adversely affected by sound, water and air pollution, caused by the coal-laden wagons that pass through the village’s multiple times every day.
