MARGAO
Chandor villagers adopted a novel modus operandi to stop all heavy vehicles transporting material to the track doubling spot in the village by invoking a district Collector’s notification barring plying of heavy vehicles in the village.
Senior railway officials in private conceded that work on the track doubling was disrupted at least two-three places due to various factors, adding that efforts are on to tide over the problems.
Hundreds of vehicles have been plying in the heritage village transporting construction material, including concrete mixers and black metal and sand for the track doubling project.
Armed with the district Collector’s order, a couple of villagers stopped heavy vehicles entering the village via the Curchorem as well as Gudi sides, ensuring that the vehicles returned without unloading the material.
A number of trucks, sources said, had to return with the villagers producing copies of the district Collector’s notification barring plying of heavy traffic through the village.
It is learnt that the men-in-uniform made its presence felt at a couple of locations, apparently to challan the heavy trucks for violating the order. Villagers, however, maintained that they were not satisfied with the police action, saying that issuing challans only means that the trucks can still ply through the village and unload the construction material.
“We have decided to maintain strict vigil in the village over the plying of heavy trucks through the village. The Collector had issued the notification a couple of years ago to ensure that no heavy truck plies through the village and cause damage to the heritage structures”, a villager said, adding that they have only got the Collector’s order implemented in the village.
Railway officials, on the other hand, pointed out that they are maintaining close vigil as instances of work being disrupted, though in a small way, have been reported from at least 2-3 three places.
Around a week ago, a group of villagers from Chandor and Guirdolim had protested over the plying of heavy machinery at the track doubling site on the ground that the machinery was deployed in private property without acquisition of the land in question.
