Velsao Pale-Issorcim Panchayat opposes rail doubling tracking

Team Herald

VASCO: Velsao Pale Issorcim Village Panchayat in its special gram sabha meeting strongly opposed the doubling of railway tracking. 

The gram sabha members expressed unhappiness over handful of civil society members getting involved in this issue keeping the locals and panchayat in dark.  

On Sunday, in its extra ordinary gram sabha meeting in Velsao, the villagers strongly rejected the doubling of railway track and have put up proposal asking landlords avoiding selling of properties along side existing railway track. 

It may be recalled that this extraordinary gram sabha meeting was called after some villagers in the past meeting has expressed their dismay over the motto of few activists and civil society members alleging them to have personal political intentions while opposing the double tracking. 

The villagers had also questioned at that time, why some activists never approached the panchayat for its support nor intimated the villagers about any developments on the double tracking issue when Environment Minister Nilesh Cabral and Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant inspected the railway track, recently.  

Further, the gram sabha members were given information about some steps undertaken and future course of action needed in stopping the railway double tracking project.  

Later, a resolution was moved that the panchayat will oppose the railway double tracking and steps would be taken to prevent Railways from acquiring the land.  

A social worker from the village also moved a proposal to the panchayat to adopt a resolution wherein the landlords of the village should be barred from selling the land alongside the existing tracks to anyone including the railways authorities.

Velsao Sarpanch Henriques D’Mello informed the media persons that the panchayat has resolved to object to the railway double tracking activities and that a resolution would also be taken barring the private landlords from selling their land alongside the existing railway tracks.

Social worker and former panch Roquezinho D’Souza said that he was the first person to oppose the railway double tracking and was instrumental to stop the panchayat’s secretary from carrying out a survey and demarcation of land alongside the railway tracks on the directives of the BDO way back in March last year.