He had initially challenged reporters to show notification on ‘in-principle’ approval
the goan I network
PANAJI
Speaking to The Goan, Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar said that the list of roads mentioned in the notification of January 2, 2017 would be asked to be removed. “We will be writing to the centre to exclude highways listed in the ‘in-principle’ notification and ensure these don’t get added into the final notification,” Parrikar said.
A total of 21 stretches of roads totaling nearly 230 kilometres, including several internal ones (from Chopdem to Keri in Pernem, Verem to Candolim in Bardez, Valpoi to Nagargao in Sattari, Old Goa to Pilar in Tiswadi), were granted in-principle approval by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. This doesn’t include roads already marked as national highways like that of NH17 and NH4A which crisscross the state from north to south and west to east. When confronted with the question initially after his first cabinet meeting, Parrikar denied that any such notification was issued and challenged reporters to show him the notification.
The notification caused a flutter in no small measure because combined with the Supreme Court’s directive to clear liquor vends from the national highways would bring in a huge section of the state’s road under the ambit of the others.
“You show me the notification. There is no such notification,” Parrikar had said.
The then chief minister Laxmikant Parsekar said that the proposal was sent by the Goa Government to the centre in a bid to secure funds to ‘develop’ these roads.
The TTAG, which was the first to raise a red flag, had however opposed the move.
“Since the above roads are in the tourism belt it is a cause for concern to us. The construction of national highways through the densely populated coastal belt of Goa will spell disaster for tourism,” TTAG said.
TTAG immediate past president Francisco de Bragança had said, “Besides it is not feasible to construct a national highway in the coastal belt without destroying its essence. A highway cannot be constructed in densely populated areas, which will entail small village roads connecting to a highway at every 50 meters, which will interfere with the traffic on the highway. What was green, what was open, what was laid back, what was friendly has already been replaced by the hustle and bustle that typifies an overrun tourist destination,” adding that “there is an imperative need to halt this uncontrolled growth caused by constructing a national highway piercing the very heart and core of tourism in Goa which will spell disaster for tourism.”
