the goan I network
MAPUSA
Objecting to the decision to convert the MDR 10 into a highway, Deputy Sarpanch, Joseph Sequeira said many locals will lose their livelihood if the government goes ahead with the plan.
“Due to the highway proposal, many houses of the locals, shops and business houses will be affected. Secondly, due to the recent top court order banning alcohol outlets along highways, many hotels will also have to shut down. This will be a doomsday for the tourism industry in the popular coastal belt,” Sequeira said.
Hitting out at the government for keeping the panchayat in the dark on the proposal, the deputy sarpanch said the panchayat will not allow the plan to go through.
“Nothing can be done without taking the village panchayat into confidence. We will physically stand in the way of officials who come to prepare the detailed project report (DPR) on the highway plan,” he added. Apart from the normal crowd that normally attends gram sabhas, many hotel and restaurant owners were present for the special gram sabha ostensibly called to discuss the highway issue.
