VASCO
Goencho Ekvott, a NGO fighting against the double tracking projects has termed the government as the most insensitive one over the recent award to the railway land acquisition process
Goencho Ekvott President Orville Dourado in a press note said that when Goans across the globe were celebrating the feast St Francis Xavier, a most insensitive government machinery published a 12-page Land Award notification for the Land Acquisition for the proposed Special Railway Project (Hospet - Hubli - Tinaighat - Vasco da Gama Doubling ) which had commenced with the issue of the notification in the Gazette of India dated February 17, 2020.
"In all 2,719 objections were filed through a raging COVID-19 pandemic, but the competent authority accepted only 66 of these as valid, over 80% of which were filed through the efforts of Goencho Ekvott. While rejecting the objections of the other 2,653 persons/institutions, with the excuse that the ‘competent authority’ had the mandate only for land acquisition, while the other important aspects to a quality life like the consequences of rakes speed in excess of 100 -120 kmph that is bound to cause collateral damage in the form of irreversible damage to existing settlements along the route, the fugitive dust and noise pollution, the degradation of under ground water resources, the damage to the fertile farmlands, the forced division of villages, the backfilling of rivulets & stormwater drains, the hill cutting, the denial of the only access to landlocked compounds etc. appears not to be important and have been conveniently overlooked.
"The least that the government could do was to conduct a public hearing to give a fair chance to these 2,653 objectors and others to be heard. The special projects are time bound and the land acquisition process should have been completed within 12 months, but it is over 33 months that the ‘competent authority’ is conducting it’s most insensitive process. The Supreme Court of India had taken cognisance of the CEC report and scrapped approx 37 kms of the proposed Double Tracking through the Mollem National Park and the Bhagwan Mahaveer Wildlife Sanctuary, with a directive that the coal should be imported to India through the Krishnapattnam port on the East Coast of India, with near ready rail infrastructure up to Hospet. So why is the Government of India insisting on going ahead with this ill-conceived mega project without even conducting an Environment Impact Assessment. When couple of petitions are being heard at the Goa Bench of the Bombay High Court, wherein RVNL/SWR is unable to satisfactorily submit documents requested by the judges causing unnecessary delay in pronouncing the order, while construction works have commenced in full earnest in community/private land and right of way." said the press note.
"Isn’t the well being of our people who toil and live off the land not important to our government? Will the tourism industry which is still sluggish post Covid, but the mainstay of Goa’s economy, not be affected by the import of coal laden with heavy metals from Australia and other countries through our countryside? Why does our Chief Minister, his cabinet and our MPs not stand up for the people of Goa?" said the press note.
