Western bypass: Only Salpem lake stretch on stilts, says Parrikar

MARGAOrHas the government chalked out plans to build the Western bypass on stilts in Salcete at a stretch of 3.5 km as claimed by PWD Minister Sudin Dhavalikar or less than a kilometre as being maintained by Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar and NH-17 officials?r While Public Works Department Minister Sudin Dhavalikar announced last week about government’s plan to construct the 3.5 km stretch of the bypass on stilts, Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar has politely begged to differ with the announcement made by his PWD Minister. The Chief Minister has claimed that the government is keen to build the bypass on stilts only along the stretch passing through the Salpem lake in Navelim village.rWhen The Goan pointed out that the announcement made by his PWD Minister in his presence at Margao last week may send wrong signals to the people demanding the construction of the bypass on stilts, the Chief Minister should come out with a necessary communique after having a meeting with NH-17 and other officials. “We have agreed to build the bypass on stilts only along the stretch passing through the Salpem lake at Navelim. There are no plans to build the bypass on stilts along the remaining stretch of the bypass,” Parrikar said.r Inquiries by The Goan has now revealed that senior officials are bracing up to conduct estimates for the construction of the bypass on stilts only along 840 metres, passing through the Salpem lake of Navelim village. rA senior official told The Goan that the exercise to prepare estimates for the proposed bypass on stilts will cover only an area admeasuring 840 metres. That is the instruction we have received from the government. We have received no communication from the government to prepare estimate for the entire 3.5 km stretch of the bypass passing through rNavelim, Benaulim, Seraulim and Mungul.r While the government has okayed in principle to build the bypass along the Salpem lake at Navelim, the fate of the demand of the villagers of Benaulim and Seraulim remains unknown. r Though a delegation of Benaulim villagers along with local MLA Churchill Alemao had made a strong case before the Chief Minister to built the bypass on stilts along the stretch passing through the low lying areas of the village, including the Tollebandh lake, Parrikar is yet to visit Benaulim till date to take stock of the situation. Though the Chief Minister did not reject the demand of Benaulim villagers for a bypass on stilts passing through the village, the demand has not found favour with the government either, even as no work of land filling has taken place along the Benaulim-Seraulim-Mungul stretch of the bypass till date.