Govt plans to rebuild homes lost to highway widening
Agriculture land being filled to construct houses near the highway in Guirim.
Photo Credits: Umesh Zarmeker
MAPUSA
The Guirim Comunidade has strongly objected to the government’s plan to fill agricultural land along the highway near the Cross at Guirim to construct houses that were demolished during the highway widening work in Guirim.
The Comunidade has submitted a letter to the PWD in this matter.
Authorities have decided to develop about 15,000-20,000 sq. mtrs of land owned by the Comunidade to construct houses as compensation for those that were demolished during the highway widening work in Guirim.
However, the Guirim Comunidade claimed that it was not taken into confidence in the matter and has objected to this rehabilitation plan.
On noticing that land was being filled up along the highway near the Cross at Guirim, Comunidade Attorney Victor Zuzarte lodged a complaint in the matter.
Accordingly, Deputy Collector Ishwar Madkaikar, in February, directed authorities to immediately stop the work of filling the land.
After that, the Guirim Comunidade received information from officials stating that those families displaced due to road-widening work would be rehabilitated at
the site.
The Guirim Comunidade sent a letter to the Executive Engineer of PWD (National Highways), seeking the complete land development plan and the approval by the Town and Country Planning Department to fill the land, as this information should be available to farmers who cultivate the land.
Claiming that the site is a low-lying area and under cultivation, the Guirim Comunidade stated that if houses are constructed for the displaced people at the site, there would be flooding during the monsoon, and farmers would be the worst affected.
When contacted, Executive Engineer of PWD (National Highways) Jude Carvalho said there are plans to build 10-12 houses in the area to compensate for those demolished during the widening of the national highway.
“The land is being developed for this purpose,” said Carvalho.
However, Guirim Comunidade President Tulio D’Souza said the Comunidade is strongly opposed to the rehabilitation of displaced people on agricultural land in Guirim.
“The government has recently announced an agricultural scheme. At this time, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant made it clear that agricultural land would not be converted. Yet, the government is converting this agricultural land in Guirim,” said D’Souza.
