the goan I network
VASCO
Goenchea Ramponkarancho Ekvott (GRE) on Wednesday said that government led by Chief Minister Pramod Sawant should follow the footsteps of late Manohar Parrikar and reminded that Parrikar had promised the people of Cansaulim, Arrosim, Velsao, Pale and Issorsim that no doubling of railway track will be implemented in the village.
GRE has also expressed confidence that Panchayats Minister Mauvin Godinho will back the villagers and will not enforce forceful criminal acquisition on our villagers as this would be in violation of Article 21 of the Indian Constitution. GRE general secretary speaking to reporters said that he was disappointed with the statement of senior-most minister Mauvin Godinho who has been 4 times former MLA of Cortalim, after Godinho extended support for doubling of the railway track from Hospet to Vasco.
Olencio Simoes said that if Godinho had to attend the public hearing at Tilak Maidan held in March 2017 for MPT’s three major ports expansion plan he would have clearly known that the double tracking is required from Hospet to Vasco for transportation of cargo to steel plants in Bellary.
"Doubling of track will completely affect the villagers who had already given their land for free at the time of Portuguese regime in 1878 to construct metre-gauge railway for connectivity of Mormugao Port Trust (MPT) to Sanvordem for transporting passengers and employees to work at MPT. Today MPT has shifted their focus to transport hazardous cargo," said Simoes, GRE general secretary.
Former panch of Velsao panchayat, Custodio Souza requested the minister to be more sensitive towards the electorate. "The land owners of Cansaulim, Arossim, Velsao, Pale and Issorsim have rejected the procurement of their land and also the Velsao, Pale, Issorsim and Cansaulim-Arossim-Cuelim panchayats have passed a resolution against doubling of track as 9 such trains which passes through our village has created devastation to the people and if doubling of railway tracks is allowed, there will be further destruction of our ancestral houses, properties, etc," said Souza.
