Despite a meeting with Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Monday, residents of Bhoma village remain firm in their opposition to the proposed Panaji-Ponda highway expansion and continue to demand a bypass route.
The meeting marked the first direct dialogue between the Chief Minister and the protesting villagers in over two years.
During the discussions held at the Secretariat, the Chief Minister presented the proposed highway plan, assuring the villagers that only four houses in Bhoma would be affected by the construction and that no temples or other properties would be impacted. However, the assurances did little to change the villagers' stance.
The residents insist that they will only reconsider their position once Public Works Department (PWD) officials visit Bhoma, demarcate the boundaries of the proposed highway in the presence of the villagers, and provide a written guarantee from the government.
Responding positively to this demand, the Chief Minister confirmed that PWD officials will visit the site on Tuesday to physically mark the boundaries of the project. “Once the demarcation is done, all the villagers' doubts will be cleared,” he said.
The primary concern among the villagers is that the proposed highway may disrupt local temples, farmlands, and the traditional routes used for festivals and cultural events. “We are not against development, but not at the cost of our heritage and livelihood,” one villager expressed during the meeting.
Putu Gaude, a senior resident of Bhoma, voiced skepticism regarding the government’s claims.
We have been protesting for the past two and a half years, and not a single official has visited our village. If this plan was made in 1999, why were land acquisition notices not issued then?
Putu Gaude - Resident Bhoma
Kishore Naik, another resident, pointed out that the original highway plan included two alternative routes.
We brought this to the Chief Minister’s attention, but he was unwilling to discuss the bypass options. Our demand has been clear since 2010. We want a bypass, not a flyover
Kishore Naik - Resident , Bhoma
Speaking to the media after the meeting, Chief Minister Sawant suggested that misinformation may be fueling the villagers' opposition.
Sawant emphasized that only four houses would be impacted and that affected residents would be adequately compensated and rehabilitated.
“No temples or other houses will be affected. There is no threat to the village’s cultural or religious structures,” he added.
Regarding the residents’ demand for a bypass, the Chief Minister noted that the current plan was finalized in 2007. “Making changes now would require fresh permissions, including clearance for potentially affected khazan lands, which would significantly delay the project,” he said.
1. The highway widening project between Panaji and Ponda has stalled in Bhoma-Adcolna village due to fears of temple destruction by the 3,000-strong community.
2. Bhoma’s residents are deeply connected to their village life and the four historic temples central to their culture and spirituality.
3. The temples dedicated to Mahadev, Nagzarkar, Sateri, and Sati are considered sacred, with one dating back to the early 19th century.
4. Villagers have long opposed the highway plan, demanding a bypass to protect their religious and cultural heritage.
5. The government initially resisted the bypass demand, leading to heightened tensions and confrontations.
6. Major protests and agitations peaked in 2022 and 2023, with clashes involving local MLA and Art & Culture Minister Govind Gaude.
7. Bhoma emerged as a symbol of grassroots resistance against large-scale infrastructure projects ahead of the 2024 Parliamentary Elections.
8. MP Viriato Fernandes raised the Bhoma issue in Parliament, despite it not falling within his constituency.
9. Union Minister Nitin Gadkari assured Parliament that no religious structures would be affected, with an elevated road planned within existing limits.
10. The revised 9.6-km widening plan costing ₹557 crore awaits implementation, and its actual impact will be seen once construction begins.