MARGAO
With local residents repeatedly scuttling work on the doubling tracking project, the Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd has knocked the doors of the Goa police as well as the Railway police for protection to execute work on the project in Sao Jose de Areal.
What has prompted the Railway officials to seek police protection was what they called as damage caused to the ongoing construction of a minor bridge in Areal village. In his complaint, Project manager, Praveen P Sinha drew the attention of the Maina-Curtoirm police and the railway police that some elements have been regularly threatening/causing disturbance in the ongoing work and not allowing the railway officials to execute the bridge.
In the complaint, Sinha has cited the names of known and unknown persons who have been causing disturbance during the execution of the work.
He pointed out that some miscreants have deliberately damaged the ongoing work of the bridge, estimated to cost Rs 10 lakh. While requesting the police to register FIR against the elements, Sinha has urged the police to arrange police protection for the feasible execution of the bridge works.
This is the first time that the Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd has knocked the doors of the police ever since a group of Sao Jose de Areal villagers began objecting to the ongoing double tracking work, insisting that the Railways first produce documents relating to the land acquisition. While the Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd has assured to produce the survey plans, villagers have contended that not a single survey plan signed by the concerned authorities have been submitted in the office of the village panchayat till date.
While the Railways has insisted that the ongoing work is restricted to the land already acquired by the Railways in the past, local residents have demanded that the Railways submit to the village panchayat all the relevant documents, including the survey plans duly signed by the Director of Land Survey before commencing work on the double tracking project in the village.
