MARGAO: The panchayats of Davorlim and Sao Jose De Areal have said that the panchayats are never in the loop as far as the central Government projects are concerned. The Davorlim Panchayat has added that they will descend in support of the agitation.
The Sao Jose De Areal Sarpanch Julio Monteiro when asked why he did not join the protests at Nessai gate he was blunt enough to say, “We are against the pollution in the form of coal coming to Goa. However, people should have been informed and made aware while the project came to be in 2011. We could have stopped it then.”
Julio added that he did not want to give false hopes to the people and put them to the front as everyone is trying to take benefit of the sentiment. He also pointed out that the panchayats have never been in the loop as far as the projects of railways are concerned.
The Deputy Sarpanch of Davorlim panchayat, Deepak Mangalam said, “When did the Railways correspond with the panchayats for any projects for that matter? If the proposal had come, it would have been put to the gram sabha and it would have been cleared off all the doubts of the people,” he said.
He added that he will also join the protests against the work of laying the second track as the people don’t want it to happen.
Navelim MLA Luizinho Faleiro further opined that after one year and seven months of meeting with the authorities, they seem to be back at square one.
“I strongly oppose and stand with all my fellow Goans in their fight against the double-tracking of the railway lines being constructed for the transportation of Coal,” he added.
