VASCO
Dhavalikar was addressing grievances of land owners and farmers of Cortalim, affected by construction of the new Zuari bridge and widening of NH17, in the presence of Cortalim MLA Alina Saldanha at Livra Community hall at Cortalim on Wednesday. Saldanha had taken the initiative to convene the meeting, to facilitate a public interaction with the PWD minister.
Addressing the affected land owners and farmers, Dhavalikar said there should be no losses to anyone, especially the traditional farmers, while the area is being developed.
"I had requested Union Minister Nitin Gadkari through former defence minister Manohar Parrikar that farming lands, especially at Agassaim and Cortalim, need to be saved and that, the Centre should devise a plan so that fields should not be further utilised for the six-lane highway."
"Later, the Centre proposed a flyover between Bambolim and Verna to prevent further acquisition of farms along the roads at Cortalim," Dhavalikar said.
"When the government is taking steps to save the farmers, they should also cooperate with development. I know that prevailing government rates for compensation are way too low and if we ascertain the approximate loss per acre from affected farmers, we will make sure you get more compensation than the prevailing rates," assured Dhavalikar, adding that similar compensation at better rates had been offered to farmers in another part of the State. "We will compensate all affected farmers for a year," he said.
He also said the department would make new or restore the old channels of affected farmlands or compensate farmers restoring farm channels at their own cost. Dhavalikar also assured that the entire stretch of road would have a compound wall to prevent cattle from entering the fields and that, arrangements would be made at certain places for farmers to enter the fields.
"We will also clear all steel and iron rods, mud and other construction material that may have been dumped in the fields during construction of the road," said the minister. Among those who spoke at the meeting included Cortalim Sarpanch Sania Pereira, Dy Sarpanch Raymond D'Sa, Jude Pereira, Edmund Carvalho, Pobres Vaz, Edwin Fernandes and Panch Francisco Mendes.
