Team Herald
Margao: The Town and Country Planning Minister Vijai Sardessai assured residents of Chandor and Guirdolim that he would study the problem raised by them and work out some solution.He however stressed the need to preserve heritage and places of historical importance.
Residents of the two villagers had presented a memorandum signed by over 650 villagers demanding that no state highway should pass through their village. Their reasoning it being a capital of the Kadamba dynasty in the 11th Century, there were historical sites including one which was recognized by the Archaeological Survey of India. In addition, they pointed out there were heritage houses like Vhodllem Ghor which predates the Portuguese era and the Braganza Mansion where the son of Goa’s freedom movement T B Cunha was born. These landmarks would be adversely affected by the highway. The memorandum also pointed out that many religious structures including the centuries old Church and a chapel constructed in 1604 would be adversely affected.
The villagers said as per the tourism master plan, it proposes to have village walks and village stays in Chandor, which would be ineffective if the village had a state highway with heavy vehicles plying through it.
The memorandum also pointed out the Collector South had banned heavy traffic plying to the village which would not have happened if a State highway was proposed in the village and similarly pointed out that in none of the Regional Plans was a State highway shown passing through the village.
Pointing out that State Highways were meant to connect Taluka headquarters, they argued Curchorem was not a taluka headquarter and hence demanded that the proposed State Highway through their village be dropped.
Vijai said he would have to study the matter as recommendations of the road congress need to be studied. However, he said he agreed with the need to preserve historic and heritage structures and assured the villagers that he would get back to them shortly.
