MARGAO: The residents of Velsao on Saturday served the Mormugao Deputy Collector with a four-day ultimatum to stop all construction activity within the privately-owned properties in the village that has been shaken by the controversial double-tracking project being taken up by Rail Vikas Nigam Limited.
Despite the heavy police presence, there were massive protests at the site on Saturday, following the latest encroachment of property in Primeirovaddo, owned by the Barbosa family, by RVNL workers who are busy building embankments and destroying traditional storm water drains, much to the chagrin of the villagers. The villagers threatened to take out a morcha next week if the authorities failed to comply with their ultimatum.
Velsao locals including Congress leader Olencio Simoes, Goencho Ekvott Founder Member Orville Dourado Rodrigues, Ex-MLA of Cortalim constituency Alina Saldanha, Sarpanch of Velsao, Pale & Issorcim Diana Maria Gouveia, Panch Francisco Braganza, ex-Panch Ashok Souza, Maximo D’Souza and others visited the site where they were apprised of the demarcation jointly carried out by the landowners, the panchayat and Goencho Ekvott. It was noticed that RVNL had encroached by approximately a 1.5 – 2-meter width and had constructed embankments within the storm water drains, which will have a disastrous effect on the area during the monsoon.
The site engineer from RVNL was apprised of the gross land violations and he appeared to agree with the land survey demarcation. “But he expressed his helplessness to comply with our demand to stop all construction activity until the plot was re-surveyed through the offices of DSLR,” said Orville Dourado Rodrigues, of Goencho Ekvott.
The villagers said they would continue to oppose the railway expansion steadfastly, since the government’s and RVNL’s claim that the project was undertaken for the benefit of passenger traffic has now been exposed as lies, after the expansion of berths 5A and 6A at the Mormugao Port Authority. “The villagers are suffering immensely on account of the coal dust which is absorbed directly into the bloodstream, and is related to incidence of fatal ailments like cardiac arrest, cancer, blood pressure etc,” said Rodrigues. “The issue of intense vibrations due to the speeding of overloaded rakes and the blaring of train horns throughout the night, has led to the residents being deprived of sleep in these thickly populated areas which also includes the upgraded Cansaulim Health Centre. Numerous heritage houses, some dating to the Kadamba period, are at risk of being damaged,” he added. The reduced yield in paddy and coconut crop was also discussed by the protesters.
