VASCO
Mormugao Deputy Collector Mahadev Arondekar has appealed to the people of the port town to cooperate in removal, relocation of religious structures in support of the road widening project.
A special meeting was convened at the Mormugao Deputy Collector’s office on Friday afternoon to collect reports from various government departments to identify the various religious structures in their jurisdiction that needed to be retained/ relocated/ removed in lieu of the road expansion works in Mormugao taluka.
The meeting was called for the engineers of NHAI, PWD Roads, MMC, MPT, GCZMA and Captain of Ports department to identify the religious structures in their area and submit the report to the Deputy Collector and the same was to be submitted to the South Goa Collectorate for further instructions.
Soon after the meeting, Deputy Collector Mahadev Arondekar informed that while the Captain of Ports had informed there were no religious structures in their area, Mormugao Municipal Council had asked for some more time to submit the report on religious structures present in their area.
“With regards to some three religious structures (crosses), talks are going on. We are trying to relocate wherever the case is possible or retain the structure if they are not obstructing. NHAI has already begun discussions with religious heads and many places people have agreed to relocate and some places they have agreed for removal too,” said Arondekar.
“We had 99 religious structures in Mormugao taluka. Five structures were to be removed, 57 structures were not to be removed while 37 religious structures were to be relocated. However, eight structures were demolished in the Baina slum area and some religious structures in the PWD roads and NHAI jurisdiction will be removed. Remaining structures will be kept intact as of now and as and when the roads in PWD jurisdiction or NHAI jurisdiction will be widened, necessary action will be taken at a later stage,” added Arondekar.
Arondekar appealed to the people to come in support of the road widening project and not to create any hindrance in the removal/ relocation of religious structures.
“Wherever there is development or expansion of roads, we have to sacrifice. I request people to understand that this development is pro-people and not targeting a particular religion or community. Several instances have proved that a traffic jam happens and people have missed flights. There have been instances where ambulances have got stuck on roads and the patient is declared brought dead at hospitals and several times fire brigades also don’t reach on time,” dy Collector said justifying development.
