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THE GOAN NETWORK
MARGAO: After Power Minister Nilesh Cabral firmly saying that a flyover is not feasible at the Chandor level crossing and an assurance that an underpass will take care of all emergencies, including an ambulance, the Guirdolim gram sabha on Sunday gave their nod to the underpass.
After lengthy discussions at the meeting attended by the Power Minister as well as Cuncolim MLA Clafacio Dias, the meeting chaired by Sarpanch Mallisha Carvalho finally gave its approval for an underpass with a height of 2.8 meters and 5.5 meter width, with footpaths on both sides.
The Power Minister said the underpass will become a reality within the next two years if the panchayat immediately forwards the resolution to the government and the railways.
Cabral, however, made it clear that the Chandor level crossing will be closed for traffic only after the underpass at the crossing and an over-bridge, around 1.9 km away from the crossing, is built by the railways.
He also informed the gram sabha about the central government’s decision to close level crossings across the country to reduce the number of accidents at manned and unmanned railway crossings.
Explaining to the gram sabha members in the presence of railway officials, Cabral said an underpass with a 2.8 meter height will take care of all light vehicles and an ambulance.
He, however, said that trucks will not pass through the underpass and the construction of a two-lane over-bridge around 1.9 km away from the Chandor level crossing will take care of the heavy vehicles.
"I will soon ask the Curtorim panchayat and the gram sabha to take a decision on the over-bridge since the area falls in Curtorim panchayat jurisdiction,” Cabral said.
“The over-bridge is being objected to by just a handful of people. They are misguiding the people that the over-bridge will have four lanes and will result in the destruction of the heritage houses at Chandor. The proposed railway over-bridge at the Curtorim junction will only have two lanes and not four lanes. Maybe a handful of persons are misguiding the people of Chandor to cover up the encroachment carried out on a PWD acquired property,” he said.
Replying to a host of questions, the Power Minister said that an underpass can be put in place within two years, but said that if all the resolutions are in place, the underpass can even become a reality by December 2019.
After the meeting, Guirdolim Sarpanch Mallisha Carvalho told the media that the gram sabha has settled for an underpass with 2.8 meter height and with a width of 5.5 meter.
“The resolution was unanimously adopted by the gram sabha,” Mallisha said, adding that the authorities have promised to complete the underpass within two years.
Cuncolim MLA Clafacio Dias said the people of Guirdolim have given the go-ahead signal for the railway underpass after the Power Minister explained to them in detail the pros and cons of an underpass with regards to the height and width.
Dias also requested the Power Minister to resolve the power woes plaguing Guirdolim village.
