MARGAO
Chinchinim villagers seemed to have not lost hope of the government accepting their demand for a bypass on the NH66 at Dandeavaddo.
After their pleas for a bypass instead of a flyover at Dandeavaddo fell on deaf ears of the government, including Union Minister for Road Surface Transport Nitin Gadkari, the Chinchinim panchayat has now come up with a new plan “ instead of building a flyover on the existing highway, build the bypass on stilts instead of landfilling.
“After we found the government not responding to our plea to go for road bypass at Dandeavaddo, we have now proposed to the Goa government as well as the centre to build the flyover in the bypass alignment instead of building the same along the existing road,” informed Chinchinim Sarpanch Valentino Barretto.
In fact, the Chinchinim Panchayat has knocked on the doors of all and sundry with a plea not to go ahead with the flyover on the existing highway, but to build the flyover along the bypass alignment earlier approved by the Centre.
The panchayat has already submitted the memorandums to the South Goa MP Captain Viriato Fernandes, and is in the process of handing over the memorandum in support of the bypass on stilts to the MLAs. “We want the MP to raise the issue in Parliament. Captain Viriato has already taken up the issue with Union Minister Nitin Gadkari. Similarly, we want the MLAs to take up the matter in the forthcoming session of the Goa Legislative Assembly,” he said.
Valentino pointed out that since the government will be acquiring land for the Cuncolim bypass to complete the four-laning of the NH66 highway, the government should acquire the land for the Chinchinim bypass to be constructed on stilts.
“There will be no major increase in the cost of the construction of the bypass on stilts since the government is strongly batting for the flyover on the existing highway,” he added.
To a question, the Sarpanch said the Panchayat is supporting the cause of the people and will request all the MLAs to request the government to consider the construction of a bypass on stilts on Alternate 1 as per the earlier design and plan by the authorities in the section.
