The Bhoma highway expansion issue continued to flare up with the PWD Minister Nilesh Cabral's presentation notwithstanding. On Monday, the minister stated that only four houses will be demolished for the expansion work, besides around 17 kiosks. He rejected claims that temples would be affected and assured rehabilitation to locals affected with plots to an alternate location with full ownership rights. Also, there was a mention that the kiosks standing in the way were illegal and had encroached on government land, but here again, Cabral assured to rehabilitate them.
The villagers, however, seemed to be not enthused by Cabral's claims and promises. They debunked his presentation and claimed that 64 houses were in line for demolition. Also, the villagers are not ready to buy Cabral's contention that a bypass is impossible and have threatened to make this a state-wide issue.
Development works affecting habitation and the environment have consistently met with resistance in the State. Whether it is highway or railway track expansion, there seems to be a mismatch between the government's script and what stands on the ground. Moreover, there is a high level of distrust and suspicion among citizens because history tells us that rehabilitation and compensation promises of the past have been entwined in disputes and documentation hassles for decades.
The case of Bhoma highway expansion has shades of the Velsao double-tracking and Melauli IIT issues, where the demolition of structures and residential houses was the bone of contention. While Cabral has made his point, his argument for the project has not resonated with the people of the area. Ideally, the PWD minister should have faced the people of Bhoma rather than choosing to make a presentation in the capital city. What is needed is a ground-truthing exercise with an engagement of engineers from the National Highways Authority of India, other road experts and the people of Bhoma.
The count of 64 affected structures made by locals against the four presented by Cabral reflects a mismatch that forms the crux of the matter. It is obvious that 60 structures are not recognised by the government since they are not registered. We had a similar issue at Melauli IIT, where the displacement of people formed the nucleus. The government had to exit Melauli because the agitation was growing exponentially, making it unmanageable.
The question here is that Cabral has shown no inclination to address issues of the 60 structures, which he classifies as illegal. Neither has Cabral demonstrated a willingness to revisit the bypass proposed via the Industrial Estate route by the former chief minister Manohar Parrikar. Also, there is no convincing proposal to explain that flyovers and elevations at the three temples will not impact the religious structures. It must be borne in mind that flyovers and aerial extensions have affected residences elsewhere, especially in Agasaim, where homes have developed cracks.
The PWD must debate the areas of conflict with the Bhoma locals. If people are of the view that a bypass is still a possibility, it has to be explored, even if it comes at a reasonable cost. Displacing people and their livelihoods should not be an option while undertaking developmental works. Ministers need to speak the language that unites people with governance, not one that tears them apart.
