VASCO
Cortalim MLA Alina Saldanha said Chief Minister Pramod Sawant was able to gauge the proximity of the second South Western Railway's track to houses in Cansaulim, Velsao and Pale during his inspection of the existing railway track on Thursday.
In a press release, Saldanha said the chief minister, who was attending several programmes in South Goa, fitted in his schedule the site inspection on Thursday at around 5 pm.
“He walked on the existing SWR track, whereby he was able to gauge the proximity of the second SWR track to houses in the villages of Cansaulim, Velsao and Pale,” Saldanha said.
"As per demarcations on the ground, 13 mtrs from the centre of the existing SWR track is the land needed to lay the second track. Unfortunately, this demarcation lands, in most cases, inside the compounds of these houses, ensuring that should the second track become a reality, the residents will have to move out of their houses," said Saldanha.
"The chief minister also noted that most of these houses have no road access. When he raised this issue, he was informed that the only access people can resort to is across the existing SWR track.”
“In the village of Pale, the chief minister climbed up the hill behind the row of houses to see the existing SWR track and was informed that to lay the second track, the land towards the houses would have to be filled up to the level of the hill to lay the second track. This alone, will be a perpetual risk to the lives of the residents of these houses should any derailment/landslide occur after the second track is laid," said Saldanha.
The Cortalim MLA said though the chief minister was shown small stretches of the SWR alignment, the same is replicated along the entire SWR alignment in villages of Cortalim constituency. “There is no doubt the chief minister was impressed and taken aback to see the ground reality with reference to doubling of SWR track in villages of Cortalim constituency.
“We all hope, for the sake of residents of these villages, that SWR doubling will be dropped thereby assuring the common understanding and belief that ‘development’ raises the standard of living of an individual and not vice-versa," said Saldanha. "The people of South Goa, and Cortalim constituency in particular, have high hopes in Chief Minister Pramod Sawant that he will do the right thing for the people of Goa," said Saldanha.
Meanwhile, Saldanha along with Villagers Action Committee Against Double-tracking (VACAD) members, Maximo De Souza, Nandita Dayal, Dr Cidalia Bodade and others thanked Sawant for keeping his promise to walk the existing SWR track in the villages of Cortalim constituency.
