Opposition demands House Committee on 4/6 laning

Opposition demands House Committee on 4/6 laning
HERALD REPORTER
PANJIM, JULY 20
Opposition leader Manohar Parrikar on Tuesday questioned the House over the logic of land acquisition before getting the environment clearance for the four- and six-laning of NH-17 and NH-4 and raised the demand for a House Committee to go into these and other important aspects.
Parrikar was talking during Question Hour on a query raised by BJP MLA Vijay Pai Khot regarding proposed construction of the 4/6 lane highway in Canacona taluka.
Khot and Parrikar questioned Alemao on several aspects of the highway and were not too happy with his answers. Parrikar said the PWD Minister Churchill Alemao had been misguided on the issue.
Parrikar said the Central authority officers coming to Goa were misguiding the local officers on the width of the highway. There was a committee formed to look into several aspects and the same is non-functional, he stated.
The Opposition leader said nowhere in the highway plan a bridge has been earmarked for Panjim that has seen ever-rising traffic entering its roads over the last few years. The data of traffic movement on the Mapusa-Panjim road is six years old and the same can’t be relied upon for the decision of a bridge on the river Mandovi, he stated.
Chief Minister Digambar Kamat said there were many apprehensions over the construction of the highways. “Sometime back a meeting was held in the Secretariat where vulnerable points were discussed in the presence of National Highway Authority of India chairman. We asked the NHAI for re-examination and directed Goa State Pollution Control Board to keep the public hearings in abeyance till documents were made available,” he informed.
Kamat said at the same time they would proceed with the land acquisition and other necessary formalities like environmental clearance. The consensus reached was to have minimum damage to citizens’ properties, he stated.
Aldona MLA Dayanand Narvekar taking up the cause of Porvorim area demanded an assurance on setback.
Kamat mentioned those who had carried out constructions in the past had sworn on affidavits they will remove their compound walls if a highway was planned. These people at that time thought no highway will ever come, he stated. No relaxation in setback whatsoever should be given henceforth, he maintained.  
The House also debated on having the six-lane highway with small service paths on both sides in a 35-metre area as was done in Kerala. Why for a small State like Goa a 75 metre area was required for the six-laning, it was pointed out.
Aleamo and a few others also spoke in favour of the House Committee but no assurance was forthcoming on it nor was any decision taken in this regard.