MARGAO
While the Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd has invoked the Railway Act to claim exemption for the ongoing construction works along the railway line, it has to date not deemed fit to reply to the stop-work order notice issued by the panchayat bodies.
RVNL has so far not replied to the Sao Jose de Areal Panchayat how the Railways are empowered to carry out work in railway property under the Railways Act without obtaining permission from the local body.
The Areal panchayat had last week issued a stop-work order to the Railways to stop work on the construction of some rooms near the Nessai railway gate on the premise that no permission was obtained by the body for the work.
Outgoing Sarpanch Vincy Mascarenhas had invoked section 64(j) of the Goa Panchayati Raj Act to issue the stop-work order to RVNL, directing it to stop the work until such time the agency produces the permissions to carry out the work or give proper explanation that they have the right to carry out the work in the jurisdiction of the panchayat body.
When contacted, the outgoing Sarpanch maintained that the Areal panchayat has not received any reply from the RVNL to date.
The panchayat members and the police had last week got the contactor engaged by the Railways to stop work on the construction till a reply is filed explaining the exemption under the Railways Act.
So far, the Railways has refused to obtain permissions from the local panchayat bodies on the ground that the Railways Act grants it exemption.
On October 28, the Railways had laid the double track at the Nessai railway gate. And, when questioned by Goyant Kollso Naka activists to produce the permissions from the local body, RVNL officials had invoked the Railways Act without citing its relevant provisions.
