MARGAO
Even as all eyes lay focused on the ongoing Assembly session for the much awaited debate on track doubling project, work on the controversial project is believed to have resumed in certain stretches, but at a slow pace.
If the Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd (RVNL) had stopped the track laying work on the Davorlim stretch of the project late last year following public protests, the agency has resumed work on the stretch again.
Movement of men and machinery had been spotted along the tracks, meters away from the Davorlim railway crossing, indicating that the RVNL has resumed the work, but on a small scale.
Railway officials confirmed that the RVNL has started work on the track doubling on the Davorlim sector to ensure completion of the balance work on certain stretches of the route.
A senior railway official informed that the work has resumed only at stretches where only a small portion of work had to be completed. In fact, officials pointed out that the railways have not mobilized the Goa police for protection, but has roped in the services of the Railway Protection Force (RPF) to man the tracks.
Senior railway officials informed that major work on the rack doubling project on the Margao-Davorlim-Sao Jose de Areal stretch stands completed and that the balance work is being taken up in phases.
All track doubling work on the Chandor-Margao stretch of the project had come to a halt late last year after Salcete’s lone Minister, Filipe Neri Rodrigues had instructed the railway officials to stop the work till the government takes a decision on the project after the arrival of Union Ministers.
While there’s been no sign of any Union Minister, be it Minister for Shipping, Coal or Railways coming to the State till date, work on the project along the stretches has been taken up by the RVNL since the last one month.
While strongly batting for the track doubling project, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant had replied to a question tabled by BJP MLA Alina Saldanha that the double tracking project would not only give a boost for passenger traffic and the socio-economic development, but will help the quick movement of the defense forces in times of emergency.
Earlier this month, activists from Sao Jose de Areal had claimed that work had resumed on the Areal stretch, demanding to know from the Salcete lone Minister Filipe Neri Rodrigues whether the government had accorded a green signal to the railways to complete the work against the wishes of the people.
