withdraw land acquisition process: Matanhy
HERALD REPORTER
PANJIM, JULY 21
The former tourism minister and social activist Matanhy Saldanha today demanded that the proposed land acquisition for the National Highway should be withdrawn pending report by House Committee.
The ongoing Assembly session had resolved to appoint a house committee for studying vexed National Highway expansion issue.
“I welcome the state government decision to set up a house committee. But I demand that till the committee submits its report, the land acquisition process initiated by the government must be withdrawn immediately,” Saldanha told reporters today evening.
“Forming of committee won’t have any affect on people mindset. If they want to win their confidence, stop the land acquisition process,” he added.
Saldanha pointed out that nearly 60 percent of population is situated along the areas, where the government has proposed to widen the roads.
“The areas along the NH in Goa are oversaturated offering no scope for further widening,” he stated.
The former minister feels that the construction of highway with varying widths would only serve as a tourist attraction rather then serving its true purpose.
“I don’t understand why Goa government is so much in hurry. Other states like Maharashtra and Karnataka have not yet finalized on this matter,” activist said.
Pointing out that the present NH passing through Goa from North to South is nothing but expansion of old village roads, Saldanha demanded that the current NH project be constructed as suggested in the Regional Plan 2021.
“A highway being planned should avoid densely populated areas and instead of widening the village roads, it would be better if the highway is aligned through the hinterland as proposed by the experts in the RP,” he cleared.
“Instead of widening the NH, the government could do well to take up the project of constructing a corridor via Dhabandora as suggested by the experts of RP,” he suggested.
Saldanha feels that along with easing traffic congestion, setting up of corridor through the hinterland would also act as a catalyst to develop these hitherto undeveloped areas of the state.
“If the proposal for corridor is not favourable to the committee, then the government should restrict the widening of the existing highways only to 30-35 meters,” he stated.
He also stressed that instead of resorting to the archaic technology of constructing roads by land filling, government can construct roads on stilts.
Saldanha has already forwarded the bunch of his demands to the state PWD minister Churchill Alemao and Union Minister for Surface Transport Kamal Nath.
