MARGAO: Ten panchas of Chandor-Cavorim, Guirdolim and Assolda have requested the Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar to drop the State Highway passing through their villages.
The request was made in a letter addressed to Parrikar, with copies marked to PWD Minister Sudin Dhavalikar, TCP Minister Vijai Sardesai, local MLA Clafasio Dias and the South Goa Collector.
The letter is signed by six of the seven panchas of Chandor Cavorim; the seventh one being the Sarpanch Celina Furtado.
Led by Raymond D’Cruz, the other signatories from Chandor to the letter are Deputy Sarpanch Mafaldina Martins, former Sarpanch Derrick Braganza Pereira, Edward D’Silva, Jose Pereira and Arlinda Tereza.
Of the remaining four signatories, three are from Guirdolim panchayat, viz, former Sarpanchas Jose Antao and Sonia Dias along with Brian Pereira; Custodio Fernandes is the only member of Assolda panchayat to sign it.
The letter clearly states that they do not want development at the cost of heritage as the highway would destroy the heritage of the village by causing the crumbling of heritage monuments and houses in the village.
Besides they also pointed out that the Regional Plans that were sent to the villages never showed the State Highway passing through these three villages and hence it should be kept out of their villages.
They also pointed out that the South Goa Collector had banned the entry of heavy vehicles in their villages and subsequently vide another notification prohibited any heavy vehicles from using one road in Chandor Cavorim village.
