the goan I network
PANAJI
Following a petition from some 400 villagers, the Town and Country Planning Board has decided to ask the Public Works Department to slash the width of a road proposed to be built through Mulgao village in Bicholim taluka.
The villagers had petitioned the TCP department on February 1 demanding that the proposal to build a 30 metre wide road through their village be dropped. They also petitioned the TCP that land acquisition for the road, which is in final stages, but violates provisions of the new law be dropped.
The Board, however, decided to discuss the issue with the PWD and seek restricting the widening to a maximum of 7-meters instead of the proposed 30-meters as demanded by the villagers.
Further, the Board declined to go into the issue of the villagers’ demand to drop acquisition as it comes in the domain of the Revenue Department.
In their petition, the villagers had argued that when the proposal of the road was first announced, they had protested against it.
They claimed that the State government had then assured them that the widening would be restricted to 7 meters.
They also claimed that the government had assured to explore an alternative site to build a by-pass through non-habitated, hilly region.
The petition also claims that a 30-m wide by-pass through hilly region which would not affect existing homes, establishments and temples in the village was finalised and marked in RP 2021.
Despite this, the widening of the existing road is yet to be dropped and in fact the land acquisition process has also been finalised, they added.
