MARGAO
Guirdolim village witnessed an uproar, the second time in a week, as locals along with Chandor villagers, besides anti-coal protesters cried foul over the brazen violations of the rules in force by the Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd while executing work on the track-doubling project.
What agitated the people was the fact that the Railways has continued the work despite protests from the villagers and local MLA Clafacio Dias last week. They pointed out that the work on the project continued unabated even though the local residents had pointed out clear violations of the Goa Irrigation Act as the Railways has buried a rivulet and also damaged an old sluice gate.
As the local MLA inspected the site, the second time in three days, with officials of the Water Resources Department (WRD) Ankush Gaonkar and Railway officials, agitated local residents requested Cuncolim MLA Clafacio Dias to get the ongoing work stopped immediately.
Chandor Sarpanch Edward D’Silva, Chairman of Guirdolim Biodiversity Management Committee Agostinho Antao told the MLA that the Railways is continuing the filling of land by throwing all norms to the winds.
They demanded that the Railways should be asked to demarcate the acquired land with the help of government surveyors and also remove all the mud used in the filling of the rivulet.
A visibly annoyed Cuncolim MLA Clafacio Dias also told RVNL General Manager (Project) S B Sahoo, point-blank to immediately stop the work till government surveyors carry out demarcation of the acquired land and the land belonging to the local owners.
While Sahoo was clear in his stand that he cannot stop the ongoing work, he later relented by saying that the Railways will only stop the work along the rivulet stretch, and continue the ongoing work where columns have been built for the railway platform.
Local residents, however, in one voice rejected Sahoo’s offer, demanding that the Railways stop all the work till proper demarcation of the acquired land is carried out and it obtains permission from authorities such as the Water Resources Department.
Clafacio later told the media that he has issued instructions to the Railways to stop the ongoing work till the land is demarcated and the mud was removed from the water bodies. “The water bodies, including the sluice gate, have been filled up by the Railways. Monsoon is just three months away and the situation will result in flooding of the area,” the MLA said, further assuring the villagers that he would build a cross on the sluice gate if it has been found that it was damaged during the filling of land.
When the residents drew his attention to Sahoo’s rejection of the demand to stop the ongoing work, Clafacio said he would look into the matter. The residents warned that they will be left with no option but to hold him responsible if the Railways bulldoze with the track-doubling work.
Sahoo, on the other hand, maintained that the land which touches the water body has been acquired by the Railways, a claim disputed by the local villagers and panchayat members.
