VASCO
Hundreds of people from across the State along with leaders of various political parties and various NGOs assembled at the Mormugao Dy Collector's office on Monday and protested against the personal hearing called by the deputy collector in connection with the land acquisition for the proposed double tracking of railways.
NCP MLA Churchill Alemao, Congress MLA Aleixo Reginald, BJP MLA Alina Saldanha, Congress Vice President Sankalp Amonkar, Capt. Viriato Fernandes of Goencho Awaz, Olencio Simoes of GRE and Abhijit Prabhudessai of Goyant Kolso Naka were among those who were present during the protest.
The people along with the political leaders demanded that Dy Collector Sachin Desai call off the hearing for the proposed land acquisition.
A strong police force barred the people from entering the Dy Collector's chamber and a delegation of a few leaders were permitted to discuss with Desai in the matter.
While the protestors chanted slogans against coal outside the office, the leaders discussed the issue in the dy collector's cabin for over three hours, but Dy Collector Sachin Desai said he was only doing his duty.
An NCP delegation comprising NCP MLA Churchill Alemao and NCP State President Jose Philip D'Souza later left for Panaji to meet Chief Minister Pramod Sawant to apprise him of public anger against the proposed double tracking by the railways.
The four-hour drama appeared to have ended after Sawant is believed to have spoken to Capt. Viriato Fernandes from NCP MLA Churchill Alemao's phone that he would get the hearing deferred.
However, the dy collector said he had not received any such communication in the matter, but angry protestors who were updated by Capt Fernandes about the CM's reported message demanded and order in writing from the Dy Collector.
The dy collector, however, told the leaders that he could not take any decision on the hearings till he spoke to his superiors.
While the leaders waited for his response, the deputy collector informed the media persons that the hearings had been deferred and directed his staff to convey the message to the leaders and the people, before leaving his office.
The leaders then informed the large crowd waiting outside that though the CM had assured to defer the hearings, there was no official communication from the Dy Collector.
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All hearings deferred, says deputy collector
VASCO: Mormugao Dy collector Sachin Desai on Monday evening informed reporters that hearings for the land acquisition have been deferred and any further correspondence in this regards would be informed to people in due course of time.
"As per the Railways Act, we have scrutinised the objections by the people and we have called them for a hearing. I had called only nine people for the hearing because of Covid pandemic to maintain social distancing but many protestors have turned up.”
“I could not carry out the hearing because of the protest and because many MLAs also turned up. I discussed this matter with my higher-ups and informed them about the protest by the people.”
“As of now, we have deferred the issue and we will also subsequently inform people in due course of time whether new notices are to be issued or whether any further communication is to be done. As of now, all the hearings have been deferred," said Desai.
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Leaders to meet Collector today
VASCO: Leaders of various political parties and groups have decided to meet the South Goa collector at Margao on Tuesday morning, to seek a written assurance that the hearings have been officially deferred.
The leaders told the protestors outside the Mormugao deputy collector's office that if this written assurance is not made available to them, they would visit the Dy Collector's office in Vasco in larger numbers on Tuesday, to raise objections and to oppose any personal hearing regarding the land acquisition for the proposed railway double tracking project.
