TEAM HERALD
teamherald@herald-goa.com
MARGAO: Reviewing the ongoing works in Fatorda executed by the government ahead of the Lusofonia games, Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar said the St Francis Xavier chapel located at the Fatorda junction will be shifted first, while urging the Damodar Temple committee to release 3-4 meter government land in its possession to facilitate the chapel shifting.
The Chief Minister told the temple committee that the government had in 2003 leased out the government property to the temple, adding that releasing 3-4 meters from this property would help accommodate the Chapel shifting. Otherwise, he said the Collector will be told to intervene since the allotted land is government land, even as the Chief Minister told one of the temple committee members to complete his process of consultation with his other committee members.
“There is no problem with the temple. We will sort out the matter pertaining to an area of 3-4 meters. After this is sorted out, the alignment will be drawn up,” he said, while assuring the temple committee that the temple will be compensated with additional land in the area.
After reviewing the works along with Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai, the Chief Minister said the Chapel shifting will be done taking into consideration traffic congestion. He said the alignment will be drawn up once the Chapel shifting is done, before the road widening takes place. Parish Priest of Our Lady of Rosary Church, Fatorda Fr Alvaro Martins was also present along with the members of the Chapel committee.
Sardesai told the media that the ongoing road widening underway from Ambaji to Agalli is being undertaken with consent of the people.
“We have not bulldozed our way with the road widening. This is purely development by consent. After my request, the Chief Minister has sanctioned additional Rs five crore to hot mix the widened road”, he said, while saying that the Chief Minister has promised to intervene to get the electric poles shifted standing alongside the road even after the implementation of underground cabling project.
He appreciated the role played by the Chief Minister in initiating the development in his Fatorda constituency.
adding “this is positive thinking from the side of the Chief Minister”.
Around three Chapels, a Temple, besides stalls and fish vendors located in road widening area are proposed to be shifted as part of the road widening area.
