Tension at Bhoma as NHAI officials conduct NH widening survey under police protection

PONDA: Tension prevailed at Nagzar-Bhoma as officials of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) commenced the survey work of widening the National Highway under police protection despite strong opposition from the locals. 

The locals were panic stricken and said they were kept in the dark and not informed officially about the survey.

Stating that almost four public meetings and several corner meetings were held against NH expansion plan at Bhoma, the locals said they will lose their houses and temples if the officials went ahead with the NH expansion plan. 

The locals said they are demanding a bypass but today the NHAI authorities landed in the village to conduct a survey for road widening along with police protection despite the locals opposing the NH expansion.  

Stating that the court heard the Bhoma NH widening matter twice and PWD is party to the case, the locals asked how PWD can conduct the survey when the issue is sub judice. The locals said they could not digest the survey as the notice was published by the government for land acquisition. The locals demanded that the government come out clear on the highway expansion plan and its proposed alignment. 

The locals protested the land acquisition survey at Bhoma and called upon the authorities not to conduct a survey till the court passes an order. They said the road widening will only divide Bhoma village into two and added that across the State, the government has constructed bypass roads in every village.

The furious locals including women rushed to Bhoma Adcolna panchayat office and put forth their grievances before sarpanch Damodar Naik.

The locals urged the sarpanch to support their demand for a bypass at Bhoma and the Sarpanch extended his support. The local women said initially the government had mentioned 64 houses in land acquisition notice and now it says only four houses will be affected. 

They said when government policy is to acquire 60-metre road for NH widening, why are they not showing proper road alignment plan? Most of the houses, temples and shops are located on the roadside. The religious cultural festivals are also held in these temples.

They said that if NH widening is forced on Bhoma then it would only lead to destruction of the village and called upon the government to save their village by constructing a bypass proposed in the Regional Plan. The locals said that since 2010 they have been fighting to save their village and have now decided to show their strength to the government against the project in the coming days.