VASCO: The residents of the villages in Mormugao and Salcete talukas have been kept in the dark as the government is yet to update them with regards to the land acquisition process which started a few months ago for doubling of railway tracks.
It may be recalled that hundreds of locals, politicians as well as social groups had strongly protested and demanded that the land acquisition for the purpose of double tracking be scrapped.
Mormugao Deputy Collector Sachin Desai had deferred the personal hearing indefinitely and since then the protestors have not received any reply from the government in this regard.
Goencho Ekvott convenor Creson Antao said, “People since its inception have been opposing the double tracking and the land acquisition for the same. Even the Deputy Collector three months ago had decided to defer the personal hearing indefinitely but since then the locals are in the dark on the current status of the land acquisition process and what has happened to the objections submitted by them?”
“It was the duty of the government to come clear in this matter and communicate with the people who had objected to the land acquisition. Till date, we have not received any reply from Deputy Collector’s office. We expect that the government should consider people’s plea and scrap doubling of railway tracks,” he demanded.
Orville Dourado Rodrigues, a resident of Cansaulim and member of VACAD said, “The land acquisition process for the purpose of double tracking project is against the people’s wishes and therefore the government should scrap it.”
“Since the personal hearings were deferred indefinitely by the Deputy Collector in October. Till now there is no response from his office,” he added.
Mormugao Deputy Colllector Sachin Desai informed that the process is underway and personal hearings of the concerned parties will be held soon. “No specific dates have been decided for personal hearings,” he added.
