MARGAO: The recent inspections that were carried out recently by South Western Railway (SWR) along with the Directorate of Survey and Land Records (DSLR) for additional land acquisition for their railway expansion plans has troubled the locals of Utorda village who have questioned the real purpose behind the proposed acquisition.
While the railway officials informed the locals stating that a new service road will be provided to them, the locals said no to the proposed road as they have been using an alternate road on public land since 2007.
Moreover, with the railways planning to take back an old road that lies on railway property, locals are opposing the plans for laying a third railway track for coal transportation given the far-reaching disturbance and pollution caused by such activity
“The proposed land acquisition at Utorda seems to be unwanted and unnecessary. Railway claims to acquire the additional land for a road. However, the affected landowners have conveyed to the railway authorities that they do not want the road,” said Majordra- Utorda Calata panch Cresson Antao.
“There is an existing road, which is in the railway property and a third track is planned to be laid on it. Hence this road will not be in existence after the track is laid. There are alternative roads which have come up over the years for the use of villagers and people prefer to use them due to repeated closure of the gate at Utorda railway crossing mostly at peak morning hours,” Antao added.
“It appears that the proposed road is being built as if it’s for some property development or some future plans of the railways. Unitedly, the people have rejected the major proportion of the land acquisition proposal at the hearing in the office of Competent Authority,” Antao stated further.
“This road (in railway property) won’t exist after the track is laid and villagers have accepted this fact. The land was acquired in the early nineties during construction of Konkan Railway and it changed over to broad gauge from meter gauge. People have throughout opposed the laying of additional track for coal transportation. Any extra land acquisition is not acceptable to the villagers,” one of the locals added.
The villagers further lamented that the State government’s machinery is supporting the railways instead of hearing the grievances of the public and further alleged that all this is being done to further the interest of corporates who want to use Goa for inter-State coal transportation. They added that besides the railway track, a retaining concrete wall will be built on the existing road area.
“We are opposing the land acquisition as the major portion of the area that the railway has proposed for the road is of no use to villagers and it will also lead to the demolition of several existing structures in private properties like compound walls of houses or their verandahs or wells,” the locals added.
“This road leads to a ward, which has a sizable population of around 20 houses and this was their only motorable road for them till around 2007. In the year 2007, another road was built further west of the railway line and all the houses in these village wards are connected to this new road. So, people of this area are now using that (alternate) road in public land, the locals added.
