PANJIM, NOV 19
Continuing its protest against the proposed national highways 17 and 4A, the BJP today said that the alignment cannot be done without an approval of the House Committee which is yet to meet.
Addressing a press conference on Friday, Opposition Leader Manohar Parrikar sought to know why the government has not convened a meeting of the house committee yet even as it was constituted in August comprising ministers and MLAs to deliberate on the issues related to widening of national highways.
He demanded that the meeting should be called immediately.
Parrikar said when information sought under the Right to Information Act (RTI), even National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) has conceded that alignment would be decided by the House Committee once the resurvey committee submits its report to the government.
On the other hand the government has been dragging its feet in convening a meeting.
Parrikar clarified that its not that people do not want wider roads but they would not accept unilateral decision of the NHAI on the expansion.
He further pointed out that in terms of toll charges people will have to shell out Rs 280 to reach from one end to the other.
Moreover he asked why Goans should bear cost of widening as suggested by NHAI.
According to a Porvorim resident Dinesh Vaghela, who has received information under the Right to Information (RTI) Act, the NHAI plans to spend Rs 1872 crore and has already spent Rs 1.47 crore for Detailed Project Report (DPR).
He says about 10,000 trees would be cut for expansion of the highway in Goa.
