MARGAO: Cuncolim MLA Clafacio Dias has asked the Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL) to stop their work till they demarcate their land and directed the Water Resources Department to issue a show cause notice to them for undertaking work without permission.
However, the railway authorities insisted that they had powers to do what they wanted on their land, including diversion of water body.
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On receiving complaints that work was still going on at the site, Clafasio called for an inspection on Tuesday with the RVNL officials and WRD engineers. The locals were aghast to know that work has been continuously going on despite RVNL having promised to stop the work on January 29.
Clafacio and the WRD engineers too agreed that the amount of mud dumped in the rivulet is a lot more than what was on January 30, when they had inspected the site.
Noting this Clafacio immediately asked the WRD officials to issue a show cause notice to the Railways.
However, the gathered people were agitated and got vociferous when WRD Executive Engineer Ankush Gaonkar disclosed that the department has not given any permission to the Railways to carry on any work.
“File a criminal complaint against the Railways,” shouted some people as the others demanded that they be asked to stop the work immediately as they did not have the required permission.
RVNL General Manager Shashi Bhushan Sahoo asserted that they did not require the WRD permission to do any work in their land as per the Indian Railways Act and informed Herald that they will reply to the show cause notice or any other notice issued by the government departments.
The villagers pointed out that the railways have totally covered the sluice gate, a part of which was visible on January 29 and also lamented that the Holy Cross that was erected at the sluice gate was destroyed.
“I shall build the cross at my cost as this is a promise I can make,” said Clafasio.
Incidentally, Section 14 that Sahoo refers to constantly as the one giving Railways all the powers pertains to “temporary entry upon land to remove obstruction, to repair or to prevent accident” while in the instant case the railways are trying to cause an accident with their actions.
Following the persistent demand from the people, RVNL agreed to stop all the work currently undertaken in Chandor portion of the river and agreed to remove the mud dumped there while asserting that work on preparing the platform in Guirdolim will continue.
The villagers insisted that no mud will be brought in their village from elsewhere and suggested that the mud that will be removed from the river in Chandor be used to prepare the platform, a suggestion accepted by Sahoo.
Clafacio said he will take necessary action if RSVL does not stop the work as people questioned him as they were not confident of Sahoo adhering to his word. Incidentally, he also agreed to demarcate the Railway land today which he said is 29 metres from the centre of the railway track.
Sarpanch and Deputy Sarpanch of both Guirdolim and Chandor Cavorim Panchayats along with some panchas were present for the site inspection.
