Team Herald
CUNCOLIM: For the past two month, the proposed highway bye-pass has become the issue of concern and discussion among locals, which has raised several doubts.
It may be recalled that the proposed NH17 extension work is supposed to kick off from Sarzora to Balli. The Congress government and highway authorities had accepted the alignment parallel to Konkan Railway track from Sarzora to Balli Primary Health Centre. This proposed alignment was also shown in the regional plan. Former MLA Joaquin Alemao, the former Urban Development Minister had used his office and had successfully agreed to the bye-pass alignment from Sarzora to Balli parallel to Konkan Railway. This was accepted by all as there was less destruction and seemed an economically profitable alignment.
However, the Highway Authorities now say they are looking at three possible proposals. Among them is the bye-pass from Uskini Arik after NUSI hospital passing through low-lying fields and cutting across newly-constructed Cuncolim Union Sports Complex, emerging from Karojem to Balli.
This alignment will cause the biggest destruction as it proposes to demolish all houses from Dandevade to Panzorconi and from Comba to Balli. Locals are surprised to learn that the expert engineers of Highway authorities have chosen this proposal which would literally destroy Cuncolim town.
The second proposal, which locals proposed and was agreed by the previous government was the bye-pass from Sarzora to Balli parallel to Konkan railway track.
On Monday, the local MLA had called the highway authorities engineers to throw more light on this issue. The engineers told MLA Clefacio Dias and locals that they have appointed a private agency to conduct a survey of the three proposed bye-passes. Aarvee Associates Architect and Engineering Consultant Pvt Ltd will conduct the survey in ten days and will give a presentation to the locals, as per information given by the chief minister.
Sources claim that former MLA Alemao had approached the Town and Country Minister Vijai Sardesai to resolve the issue. Vijai, along with Joaquin and locals had met the chief minister.
Locals, Dias and Alemao had agreed on the survey, but now locals are not happy as they question the need for re-survey when the proposed alignment was already accepted by a majority.
What is the need of appointing a private agency and spending so much? Whom are the government and highway authorities fooling? Why has the MLA accepted this proposal of re-survey? These are some of the question locals have been raising for some time now and have now warned the government not to play with their sentiments by bulldozing towns.
