The Goan Network
PANAJI
Goa Pradesh Congress Committee on Monday sought to expose the alleged secret plan of the BJP to acquire 121 lakh sq mts of land in Goa in accordance with an in-principle approval to Center to declare 406 kms of small village roads and lanes as National Highways.
GPCC president Girish Chodankar said that the move to increase the length of National Highways in the state by over 1.5 times threatens hundreds of traditional Goan homes, heritage houses, religious structures and rural greenery.
As per the Central Government Report titled Pragati Ki Nayi Gati (The New Pace of Development) that has been proposed and decided upon under Bharatmala Scheme of Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, additional 406 km of National Highway has been granted in-principle approval over and above the existing 262 km of National Highway. As per conservative estimates, if all the existing roads are presently assumed to be around 15 mtr wide, the total land needed for the expansion is more than 121 lakh sq mtr.
“This document was prepared in 2018 and therefore it is evident that this plan was in motion during the current and previous BJP governments in Goa and was also known to both its allies present and the past. Yet no one opposed it,” Chodankar lamented.
Chodankar claimed that the new notified NHs would require the demolition of thousands of structures including houses, temples, churches and heritage structures in dense settlement areas leaving thousands homeless and landless.
“Congress has found that the BJP government has colluded with the central government to secretly declare 406 kms of internal inter-village roads and main district roads as National Highway. The in-principle approvals by BJP state government grant statutory powers to the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways to acquire the land and convert it into four and six lane highways,” Chodankar said.
He pointed out that the right of way for the said highways itself will be 45 mtr minimum on either side of the four or six lane highway and said that this will cause several people in Salcete and Bardez to lose their homes and land.
“After bulldozing decisions to lay high-tension power lines through Mollem forest, unwanted double-tracking for converting Goa into a coal hub, this shocking decision has been pushed quietly. BJP is colluding with the Centre and is neither asking nor informing the people of Goa whether they need these highways,” Chodankar charged.
INSET
Girish terms the move as a ‘disaster’
PANAJI: GPCC president Girish Chodankar has strongly demanded that Chief Minister Pramod Sawant come out clean on the threat to Goa’s land exposed by the Congress.
Taking to Twitter, Chodankar wrote, “Disaster- @DrPramodPSawant @goacm has secretly declared 406 kms of internal village roads and major district roads as national highway in conjunction with @PMOIndia @MORTHIndia @shipmin_India. Is secret approval to convert them into 4/6 lanes roads by acquiring and demolishing traditional houses, heritage homes, religious structures, palm trees in thousands next? This sell-out of Goa's land is another betrayal of the people of Goa.”
