the goan I network
MARGAO
The Guirdolim gram sabha on Sunday threatened a stir if the Indian Railways fail to remove the mud from the village lake, with members pointing out that assurances given by the railway officials to clear the debris from a local lake has only remained on paper.
The gram sabha members further demanded that the Indian Railways to explain to the villagers on the acquisition of land in the village for the proposed double tracking and has constituted a 19 member committee, comprising of 12 villagers and seven panchayat members to pursue the matter with the authorities.
The double tracking project and the failure of the Indian Railways dominated the gram sabha meeting. chaired by deputy Sarpanch Franky Rodrigues on Sunday as agitated members claimed that the debris dumped in a local lake is yet to be cleared till date. While the villagers had earlier set May 20 as the deadline for the Railways to clear the debris, gram sabha members drew attention of the chair pointing out that the ground reality remains unchanged.
Given the situation, the gram sabha members resolved to ask the local MLA Clafacio Dias to seek an appointment with District Collector Ajit Roy within the next two days. Saying that the patience of the villagers is running out with the monsoons round the corner, the gram sabha members have warned of an agitation if the Railways do not act immediate in the matter.
Agitated members demanded that the District Collector should be asked to come on the site instead of the people going to the Collectorate in a delegation.
Meanwhile, gram sabha members pointed out that though the railways have shared the plan of the double tracking project with the Panchayat as per the instructions of the District Collector, the Railways have remained silent on the acquisition of village land required for the project.
Members felt that the double tracking plan shared with the Panchayat body makes no sense when villagers are anxious to know the amount of village proposed to be acquired by the railways and the owners to be affected by the land acquisition.
