PANAJI
PWD Minister Nilesh Cabral on Monday met with locals from Bhoma and Corlim who have been agitating against the government's expansion project over demolition of some houses and other structures but stuck to the plans and vetoed alternate suggestion to bypass the two villages.
Cabral rejected the idea of a bypass arguing that the topography and other factors makes it unfeasible and also told the villagers that no temples were being touched as is being claimed.
He said, around a dozen structures will have to be demolished and most of these are touching the existing highway which are all unauthorised as they fall within road widening area.
He said, only one structure which is an age-old dwelling had a genuine grievance which will have to be rehabilitated.
Residents from the adjacent villages have been agitating against the plans of the government to expand the highway through their localities since the last 3-4 months.
The project in question is the expansion of the highway from Patradevi to Mollem, which the government plans to expand to a eight-lane in phases.
The agitating locals claim the road expansion will flatten several houses, shops and even some small temples which are on either side of the existing highway.
They are proposing that the government consider building a bypass from the outskirts without ruining the village. This is the same highway expansion project which was taken up by the Digambar Kamat-led government back in 2010-11 but was abandoned due to opposition from locals at various locations including in Porvorim.
