MARGAO
The Rs 20 crore Chandor Road over bridge, which is expected to shorten the distance between Margao and Curchorem by around five kilometres, was thrown open for vehicular traffic on Friday.
After launching the project, PWD Minister Nilesh Cabral said the government has resolved the issues facing Chandor and Guirdolim thrown up by the railway expansion, saying the government would consider the apprehensions and resolve the remaining issues.
While the Railways have built the Road over bridge at a cost of Rs 2 crore, the Goa government has spent around Rs 14-18 crore on the approach roads and hot mixing. Hot mixing of the road right up to the Chandor Church will be completed before the onset of monsoons.
The PWD Minister said commissioning of the Road over bridge will shorten the distance between Margao and Curchorem by around five kilometres. What’s more important, he said is that the Road over bridge has been commissioned a little around a year after the commissioning of the Chandor underpass at the railway crossing. “These two projects will go a long way in alleviating the problems faced by the people of Chandor and Guirdolim. The remaining 10 per cent problems will be resolved in due course of time,” he said.
Cabral said the PWD has already de-notified the Margao-Curchorem road from State Highway 8 to Major district road.
Referring to the apprehensions raised by Cuncolim MLA Yuri Alemao that heavy vehicles may ply on the road in the absence of a height barrier, Cabral said a height barrier is not required on the Road over bridge given that the district Collector has already banned plying of heavy traffic in the Chandor village.
The Cuncolim MLA also made a plea to the PWD Minister to ensure that Road over bridge and the newly commissioned road do not leave the heritage houses in Chandor and Guirdolim damaged.
Saying that the road is being inaugurated just to remind the people about the works executed by the government, Cabral said in a lighter vein “people tend to have short memory. When I had done a bridge in my constituency, I got less votes in the election. This shows that people’s memory is short”.
Besides the Cuncolim MLA, the function was attended by Curtorim constituency MLA Reginaldo Lourenco, Velim MLA Cruz Silva and panchayat representatives.
Referring to the row over the PWD’s failure to invite certain panchayat dignitaries at the function, Cabral pointed out that even if the name of any elected representatives does not find mention on the plaque that does not mean they are not part of the development. He complimented Guirdolim Sarpanch Sonia Fernandes for making it for the function after being invited by the PWD officials though her name does not figure on the plaque.
