MARGAO: Stepping up the ante against the proposed land acquisition for the approach roads to the new Borim bridge and the bypass road, the residents of Loutolim including Sarpanch Joan Fernandes met and submitted letters to the PWD Principal Chief Engineer (PCE) and Land Acquisition Officer (LAO), asking them to cancel the land acquisition notification with immediate effect as per the recent village gram sabha resolution.
Accompanied by activist Abhijit Prabhudessai, they also met the Special officer on deputation of the Union Ministry of Road, Transport and Highways (MoRTH), and conveyed why they were so strongly opposed to the project.
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Loutolim resident Ramiro Mascarenhas shed light on the outcome of these meetings.
“They told us to file the objections. However, they have said that they don’t have the authority to cancel the acquisition notification. They accept that it is passing through khazans but are quiet on why it is not mentioned in their initial report nor in the acquisition. There, they have mentioned it as paddy fields and even the owners are not mentioned, it is mentioned only as private parties,” said Mascarenhas.
It may be recalled that the Loutolim gram sabha members had strongly criticised the government for failing to involve the panchayat or villagers in the project discussions. The selected alignment drew severe objections due to its significant environmental impact, particularly on khazan lands and Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) areas. Moreover, outdated traffic studies indicated reduced traffic on the Margao-Ponda section post-2022, questioning the efficiency of the chosen alignment.
The GS members vehemently rejected this alignment due to its potential harm to khazans, biodiversity, heritage sites, and local communities.
The villagers also called for a more comprehensive assessment considering environmental, social, and economic implications.
The proposed project route also raised suspicion, with allegations that it primarily benefits coal transportation, minimising distances from the Mormugao port, rather than serving the villagers’ needs.
