the goan I network
MAPUSA
The State government has started the process of land acquisition from Carrasvaddo to Porvorim for the ongoing expansion of the NH 17 (renamed NH66). The affected parties/people were served notices under the relevant land acquisition act and were called with documents to substantiate their claim over the land.
Special Land Acquisition Officer (SLA) S P Signapurkar along with PWD officials met several people from various villages in Bardez at the Bodgeshwar Temple hall, Mapusa, on Thursday and Friday.
“Notices were sent to people whose land was to be acquired for widening of the national highway. These people have to produce relevant documents to substantiate their claim on the land,” a PWD official in the know said.
On Friday, people from Salvador do Mundo, Guirim and other adjoining areas were invited with their ownership documents. “We will verify the ownership documents produced before us and after due diligence the award for the land as fixed by the government will be disbursed to the land owners,” Signapurkar informed.
Although the meet on Friday passed off peacefully, Thursday saw some acrimonious exchanges between the locals and the government officials. Several people questioned the SLA for refusing to share proper details on government’s plan of acquiring land.
Some residents of Porvorim submitted a written objection to the SLA against the acquisition of land. “We are objecting to the land acquisition because they have not told us anything but only published a notification in the newspaper. Then they just came and marked certain areas saying so much is going etc. They have not followed any procedures. We are going to file a writ petition against the decision,” said Fatima D’Sa, former MLA from Aldona and a resident of Porvorim.
Sanjay Barde of Mapusa also questioned the haphazard development carried out by the government without taking the people into confidence. In Bardez, private land along with communidade and government land will be acquired at Colvale, Mapusa, Bastora Guirim, Pilerne, Penha de France, Socorro and Salvador do Mundo.
It may be recalled Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari had urged the local government to fast track the land acquisition process by hiring retired people.
