MARGAO
It’s unclear yet whether Guirdolim/Chandor will get a subway or a flyover to tide over the acute traffic congestion when the railway crossing is closed for vehicular traffic to facilitate trains to run on the South Western Railway track.
All that residents of the two villages know for the moment is that the Indian Railways has embarked on the Kulem-Margao double-tracking project passing through these two villages.
But, hold on. One thing, however, seems certain now that the Indian Railways is eyeing on additional land in these two villages as part of the double-tracking project -- land admeasuring around 28,333 sq mts to be precise.
That’s not all. Plans are in the offing to upgrade the Chandor railway station as the four-line station after the double-tracking is completed by 2020. Sources in the Railways informed that Chandor railway station may even become a termination point on the South Western Railway in the future.
Inquiries by The Goan have revealed that the Indian Railways has eyed upon around 28,333 sq mts for acquisition for the double-tracking project. While land admeasuring 23,490 sq mts comes under the jurisdiction of Guirdolim village panchayat, the balance land admeasuring 4,843 sq mts is located in neighbouring Chandor village.
Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd officials said that the agency has already knocked the doors of the South Goa District Collector to acquire the land in question required for the double-tracking project. “The agency has submitted a detailed proposal to the District Collector for acquisition of land along the Kulem-Margao stretch of the project, including the land required for track doubling at Chandor/Guirdolim,” remarked an official, who said the question of constructing a flyover or subway at Guirdolim falls in the domain of another division.
Sources said the land losers will be entitled for compensation as per the policy on procurement of land under Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013 for direct procurement of land to set up public purpose projects on priority basis.
What’s interesting to note is that while the Railways has drawn up a plan to acquire land for the double-tracking project and to upgrade Chandor with a four-line, the two village panchayats of Guirdolim and Chandor are virtually in the dark over the expansion plans.
Villagers too have no idea whether the Railways has proposed a flyover or a subway at the railway crossing along with the double-tracking project. Says Guirdolim Sarpanch, Sonia Dias: “The panchayat is kept totally in the dark by the Indian Railways over the double-tracking project. We do not know whether there’s any plan to acquire additional land or any flyover is planned at the crossing,” she said.
Sonia’s Chandor counterpart, Lucy D’Cruz, echoed similar sentiments. She pointed out that the panchayat has received no correspondence from the Indian Railways on the double-tracking project or whether any flyover or subway is proposed at the site.
Cuncolim MLA Rajan Naik, however, said that Railways officials have inspected the railway crossing at Chandor and are open to build a subway at the site and flyover meters away. “The railway crossing site was inspected by Railways officials. They are ready to build the subway on condition the existing road is closed for traffic after the completion of underpass,” Rajan said.
