MARGAO
For how long are the villagers supposed to wait for Union Minister for Surface Transport Nitin Gadkari to take a call on their plea to build the western bypass passing through the village on stilts?
Exactly a month on December 29, 2022, a delegation of villagers led by Benaulim MLA Venzy Viegas, Benaulim Sarpanch Xavier Pereira, former sarpanchas John Barretto and Royla Fernandes had called on the Union Minister during his visit to the State to inaugurate the state-of-the-art new Zuari bridge.
During discussions, Gadkari’s ‘dekhenge’ promise made to a delegation of Benaulim villagers had raised fresh hopes amongst the villagers waging a sustained battle in support of the demand for the construction of the western bypass on stilts.
This one word was interpreted as an assurance handed out by the Union Minister that he would look into the grievances of the villagers before taking a call on giving the sanction.
A month later since the Union Minister had raised hopes amongst the villagers that the Centre would look into the demand in support of building the bypass passing through Benaulim on stilts, there’s still no communique from the Minister or the Goa government that the bypass passing through Benaulim would be built on stilts. On the contrary, villagers have come across men and machinery resuming land filling along the Tolleaband stretch of the bypass. In fact, when The Goan team descended at Tolleaband on Sunday, trucks were plying to and fro, transporting mud and dumping the same along the bypass alignment, especially near the Benaulim-Navelim-Varca road junction site.
