VASCO
Assuring the Congress party’s support to the locals of Velsao in their fight against the double tracking works, GPCC President Amit Patkar on Monday said his party would also back the villagers if they sought a legal recourse against work.
GPCC President Amit Patkar along with other Congress leaders, Captain Viriato Fernandes and South Goa District President Savio D’Silva, some panchas and a group of locals inspected the railways double tracking works at Velsao, to understand the difficulties faced by the locals in the area.
"The government is silent on the issue and is filing cases on people raising their voices. Chief Minister Pramod Sawant must visit the site and give his reply to the people who are suffering due to coal transportation,” said Patkar.
“It looks like the government is using its machinery to carry out illegal works because there is no act that can allow stoppage of the natural course of water and no organisation can carry out works without having relevant permissions and land documents.”
“The Government should have filed cases against the Railways but is instead filing cases on people who are raising their voice. Goa Police is offering protection to Railways who are working without land acquisition and are burying water bodies here.”
“People have raised their voice, agitated and even come on roads but nothing has changed and they have now requested that they will approach the court and I have assured them that Congress will stand with them and offer support," said Patkar.
Patkar said the party would brief Leader of Opposition Yuri Alemao so that this issue can also be raised in the assembly.
“Double tracking may be a central project but the rivers and the creeks belong to us which are being landfilled and this is a source of income for fishermen," said Patkar.
South Goa District President Savio D’Silva, Congress leader Captain Viriato Fernandes and Goenchea Ramponkarancho Ekvott President Angelo Rodrigues also spoke on the occasion.
GPCC President Amit Patkar along with other Congress leaders, Captain Viriato Fernandes and South Goa District President Savio D’Silva, some panchas and a group of locals inspected the railways double tracking works at Velsao, to understand the difficulties faced by the locals in the area.
"The government is silent on the issue and is filing cases on people raising their voices. Chief Minister Pramod Sawant must visit the site and give his reply to the people who are suffering due to coal transportation,” said Patkar.
“It looks like the government is using its machinery to carry out illegal works because there is no act that can allow stoppage of the natural course of water and no organisation can carry out works without having relevant permissions and land documents.”
“The Government should have filed cases against the Railways but is instead filing cases on people who are raising their voice. Goa Police is offering protection to Railways who are working without land acquisition and are burying water bodies here.”
“People have raised their voice, agitated and even come on roads but nothing has changed and they have now requested that they will approach the court and I have assured them that Congress will stand with them and offer support," said Patkar.
Patkar said the party would brief Leader of Opposition Yuri Alemao so that this issue can also be raised in the assembly.
“Double tracking may be a central project but the rivers and the creeks belong to us which are being landfilled and this is a source of income for fishermen," said Patkar.
South Goa District President Savio D’Silva, Congress leader Captain Viriato Fernandes and Goenchea Ramponkarancho Ekvott President Angelo Rodrigues also spoke on the occasion.
