Churchill dares govt to build Western bypass without stilts

Benaulim MLA Churchill Alemao on Saturday said the people of Benaulim will take appropriate action if the government bulldozes its way with the work on the controversial Western bypass with police protection, even as he demanded to know why the Centre which boasts of no dearth of funds in its government kitty cannot spend a few additional crores to build the 3.5 km bypass on stilts.

“If the government wants to use lathis against the people peacefully opposing the Western bypass sans stilts, let them do. But, the government should remember that the people have the option of objecting to the bypass or get drowned in the floods during the monsoons,” Churchill told the media on Saturday.

The Benaulim MLA, however, strongly batted for the desilting of the river Sal even if the government agrees to go for the construction of the bypass on stilts. “Let the government first desilt the river Sal and build its damaged embankments. The government can see the water flow for a year before taking up bypass work along the flood plains of the river,” he said, adding ‘even the stilts will not help contain the floods without desilting the river and strengthening the embankment.

Saying that the villagers of Benaulim and Seraulim in his Benaulim constituency are unhappy with the reported stand adopted by Union Surface Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari rejecting the demand for construction of the Western bypass on stilts, Churchill said the government nor PWD Minister Sudin Dhavalikar has communicated to him the government stand on the bypass. “I will not find out from the PWD Minister on the government’s stand on the bypass,” he said, adding ‘since Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar had inspected the flood prone areas in Seraulim and Mungul, I will also take up with Parrikar on the government’s stand on the bypass’.

He questioned why the government is not willing to spend additional money to build the bypass on stilts, when the Centre has been boasting of huge amount of funds at its disposal to take up developmental works.