MARGAO
South Goa MP Captain Viriato Fernandes has taken up the issue of de-notification of the portion of the NH66 from Fr Agnel Ashram Verna to Carmel College, Nuvem with the District Collector.
A delegation of the affected residents of Nuvem also participated in the discussions at a meeting which was attended by the District Collector Asvin Chandru and other authorities, including the Assistant Director of Transport, Executive Engineer, NH and others.
After the meeting, Nuvem villager Everson Vales said the meeting called by the MP had been very productive. “The affected residents made some suggestions. The Collector has listened to the grievances of the villagers and promised to come out with a solution to avoid any further expansion of the road,” Everson said.
He said the authorities have promised to soon hold a joint inspection of the road.
Residents and business premises owners/tenants along the old stretch of NH66 from Fr Agnel Ashram Verna to Carmel College Nuvem, had approached the South Goa MP with a plea to de-notify this stretch through MoRTH on a host of grounds.
Pointing out there’s already a bypass called the Western Bypass for National Highway-66, the resident said the project was proposed by the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways and executed by the State Public Works Department which is now functional with major traffic plying on this road.
“This bypass was necessitated to avoid the widening of the portion of NH66 from Fr Agnel Ashram Verna Village to Carmel College Nuvem Village,” they added.
They further contended that widening this stretch will also disrupt the existing electricity cables, telecommunication cables as well as public water pipeline systems as they are already laid in this portion proposed to be widened.
