MARGAO
With the planned track laying works derailed as a result of the ongoing agitation against track doubling and coal for a month now, the Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd (RVNL) is now looking forward to resume pending work on the project in the New Year, but after an awareness campaign aimed at removing “public misgivings” on the project and by keeping the State government in the loop.
Senior railway officials informed that the RVNL not only intends to resume track doubling work on the Chandor-Margao section, but also has drawn up plans to start track doubling work on the Majorda-Vasco section at the earliest in the New Year.
Even as the men and machinery mobilized by the Railway agency remain idle since November 23, the day Salcete's lone minister Filipe Neri Rodrigues stopped all track doubling work in the taluka, the RVNL is presently on the job to engage with the people and explain to them the features of the project and remove the misconceptions against the track doubling project.
Sources in the RVNL told 'The Goan' that the agency is planning to resume work on the Chandor-Margao section and also flag off the track doubling work on the Majorda-Vasco in the new year, tentatively in January itself, but after interactions with the anti-track doubling protestors, including the organizations spearheading the agitation.
Officer on Special Duty (OSD) to RVNL General manager (Projects), John F Shilshi, IPS (Retd), an analyst (Internal security), said the RVNL certainly looks forward to resume work on the double tracking project in the New Year. Shilshi, however, hastened to add that the RVNL will take the stakeholders into confidence, including members of the public, before going ahead with the work. “There may be misconceptions about the track doubling project. We have no intention to ride roughshod over the sentiments of the people. We will be launching an exercise whereby we intend to put things in right perspective”, he added.
Sources informed that the railways, though anxious to resume work on the project at the earliest in the New Year, in January itself, will wait for the Goa government’s green signal to take the project to the logical conclusion. “We will discuss the matter with the state government as well as ensure that project receives the support of the local authorities”, officials informed.
On November 23, Salcete lone Minister, Water Resources Department Minister, Filipe Neri Rodrigues had assured anti-track doubling protestors that work would immediately come to a halt till the Union Ministers descend in the state to discuss the issues raised by the people.
Work on the project immediately came to a halt and even though the RVNL tried to execute the work in areas such as Davorlim, all work on the project later came to a halt.
It was then believed that work on the project might have been kept on hold pending the arrival of the Union Ministers, with Chief Minister Pramod Sawant announcing that Central Ministers were expected to visit Goa around mid-December. Till date, however, none of the Ministers, including Union Minister for Coal has come down to the state, only raising questions how long will the RVNL wait for the local government for the green signal to resume work on the project.
