Davorlim: At the meeting held on Tuesday, which was a follow up to the meeting held on Monday, the Navelim MLA Luizinho Faleiro informed the Railways and the District Administration that there will be law and order problems in Salcete if the work of the double-tracking continues.
The protestors have warned the District Administration that if the work continues, then the people will take the law into their hands.
The protestors also asked the Deputy Collector and officials about why the Panchayat was bypassed while starting the work of the second track at Davorlim.
It is to be noted that the people and protestors gathered at the railway double-tracking site at the Davorlim level crossing on Tuesday.
It may be recalled that on Monday, at the meeting held at the panchayat and the inspection held in the afternoon at Davorlim, the MLA and the people had demanded that the work of the track be stopped until the necessary acquisition and consent papers are produced.
However, even on Tuesday, the work continued to be done. The angered people took to the track again on Tuesday and demanded stopping of work.
As the administration sensed that the situation was going out of hand, a police force was called to control the crowd of thousands of protestors, which included NGOs, farmers, and villagers of Davorlim. The Police and the RPF were alert to avoid the people climbing on to the railway line.
The Mamlatdar Prataprao Gaonkar and the Deputy Collector Geeta Kumari also reached the site.
Faleiro said that the work of the double- tracking is unauthorised and demanded the stoppage of the work before the Deputy Collector of Salcete.
The Deputy Collector informed that the work has been started by giving the eligible compensation for their land that has been acquired.
The Dy Collector also produced a list of people that have taken the compensation for the land that has been acquired from them.
However, Faleiro said that there was no discussion held with the people who have given their land; and moreover they were not told that there will be coal transportation done on this track.
Captain Viriato Fernandes of Goencho Avaaz, further stated that the Panchayat has confirmed that they were not kept in the loop while the work has been taken up and the land acquired for the second track. “There are only 3 Ministries which don’t need permissions, External Affairs, Defence and one more. By virtue of the 73rd and 74th Amendment, the panchayats have a right over these works. Have the Railways taken permissions for the work from panchayat?” he asked
Even as the Deputy Collector assured to stop the work, it continued which prompted the people to keep the Navelim MLA at the track until the work was stopped on Tuesday.
