MARGAO
Villagers of Navelim on Monday hit the streets to object to the resumption of work on the controversial Navelim-Benaulim bridge over River Sal at Sinquetim, contending the bridge will result in the demolition of the houses in the future to make way for road widening.
PWD Executive Engineer, Prasad Panandikar, however, dismissed all fears and apprehensions, insisting that not a single house or structure will go for demolition since the PWD has already acquired land for the approach roads to the bridge.
A strong posse of police was deployed at the site as a precautionary measure and to avert any law and order situation. Margao Police station in-charge, PI Tulsidas Naik personally descended at the spot to take stock of the situation.
Monday saw residents of Navelim led by former Minister Avertano Furtado, George Barretto and others making their presence felt near the bridge site to object and oppose the resumption of work on the bridge.
George Barretto questioned the PWD Executive Engineer over the absence of the Board at the bridge construction site. He further claimed that the PWD contractor has felled trees at the site, questioning whether trees can be cut down without permission from the Forest department.
He recalled that the villagers of Navelim and Benaulim had opposed the bridge around a decade ago when the same was proposed by former PWD Minister Churchill Alemao. “This bridge has been proposed against the wishes of the people of Navelim and Benaulim. Since no one is in favour of the bridge, former chief minister late Manohar Parrikar had scrapped the bridge”, George said, wondering what has now prompted the PWD officials to resume work on the bridge.
He feared that the bridge will result in razing down of houses and other structures along the road alignment in the future. “When the Konkan railway was first proposed in Goa, they had proposed only a single track. Now, they have brought in two tracks. A similar fate would befall on the residents of Navelim and Benaulim in the future when the PWD want to widen the existing road”, he said.
A woman protestor echoed similar sentiment. She said the PWD will not go for widening of the narrow road now, but no one knows what lies in store for the villagers in the future.
PWD Executive Engineer, Prasad Panandikar rejected the claims made by the villagers, promising to dish out information about the project within 24 hours. “If you ask information under the RTI, I will not wait for 30 days, but will furnish the information within 24 hours because we have nothing to hide on the bridge”, he said.
Panandikar further said not a single house or compound wall will go for demolition, saying the PWD has already acquired the land in question around a decade ago. “Our work includes completion of the bridge and the approach roads. There is no question of road widening or demolition of any houses”, he said.
The PWD Executive Engineer further requested the villagers to knock the doors of the court, saying the PWD will stop work on the bridge if the court stays the work on the project. “You are free to go to the court and the PWD will stop the work if a stay is granted by the court”, he said.
Meanwhile, the villagers have planned to call on the PWD Minister Nilesh Cabral in a day or two to explain why the villagers are opposed to the road. They have also planned to call on Chief Minister Pramod Sawant to seek his intervention to stop the ongoing work on the long-delayed controversial bridge.
