Mandur gram sabha opposes move to set up railway station at Neura

OLD GOA

The Mandur gram sabha resolved to oppose the move to setup railway station in Neura stating that it would spell a  death knell to the khazans in the area and its surroundings including the village of Mandur.

The resolution was unanimously adopted at the Sunday meeting with AAP leader Prof Ramrao Wagh moving the same.

Speaking on the issue, Wagh pointed out that there's no need for a railway station in Neura when there's a railway station hardly 5 kms away in Karmali.

"There's absolutely no increase in the passengera and there's lack of business opportunities in Karmali. So, the reason behind setting up railway station in Neura could be only for coal transportation," Wagh opined.

"Neura and its surrounding villages have vast khazans and if the railway station comes up then it would spell death knell for the same," Wagh stated.

Later, a resolution was unanimously adopted that the railway station should be opposes at any cost and the copies of the resolution sent to various authorities concerned including the Union Railway Ministry, CM, and others.

The issue of the half hot-mixing of the major district road from Azossim to Pilar was also discussed with Wagh citing that the same should be totally hotmixed.

"Currently, as only one side of the road is hotmixed there is uneven surface which poses threat to motorists, particularly two-wheeler riders," Wagh cited and demanded that the CM, who is also the PWD minister, should be urged to completely get the MDR hotmixed before onset of rains.

The issue of a temporary house number i.e. enable house number (EHN) allotted by the Mandur panchayat was also raised with Wagh questioning how the EHN was granted.

"From the records, it has come to knowledge that the property belongs to a firm. So, the question arises how a EHN can be allotted to a firm. Further, the place where the EHN is given and the address are totally different," Wagh informed while smelling of a scam in the issue as he stated that a power line has been installed by the private entity at a cost of over Rs 6 lakh to provide power supply to the structure.

Providing further details, Wagh then said that the TCP has issued a gazette notification of land conversion under 39-A of the same property, but in some other person's name.

"It all points to a larger conspiracy and the panchayat should revoke the EHN and also write to the Power Department not to issue power supply to the structure based on the EHN," he demanded.

Sarpanch Prashant Naik said that the panchayat would initiate inquiry into the matter and begin the process of revoking of the EHN if there is misinformation.

The issue of installation of borewells inside a mega project in Azossim was also discussed with the locals demanding joint inspection to ascertain the number of such borewells installed.

The locals feared that the ground water in the village will get affected and demanded that the borewells be sealed if they are installed illegally.

The locals also demanded that the water of Azossim spring be sent for testing to check for contamination as the mega project is in close vicinity of the spring and there is likelihood of the waste and septic water finding its way in the spring.