All eyes on alternative to Borim bridge alignment

Will these farmers from Loutolim receive good news from the Goa government when they visit the office of PWD Principal Chief engineer on Monday for a meeting?

MARGAO  

Beleaguered farmers of Loutolim will keep their date with the PWD Principal Chief Engineer on Monday evening with the hope that the government will unveil an alternative to the alignment of the controversial High level Borim Bridge.

Farmers, however, keep their fingers crossed whether Monday’s meeting, the third one since the bridge alignment ended up in a bitter row, will end the stalemate over the question of alignment.

Nuvem MLA and Environment Minister Alexio Sequeira had fixed a meeting between the farmers and the Principal Chief Engineer, PWD on Monday at 3 pm in a bid to find out amicable solution to the bridge alignment. The meeting was convened after the farmers along with villagers and activists resisted attempts by the PWD to conduct demarcation of the khazan fields last week.

Chairman of the Tenants Association Albert Pinheiro told The Goan on Sunday that a delegation of farmers will attend the Monday meeting with the Principal Chief Engineer, PWD with the hope that the government will finally work out a solution to the stalemate. “The farmers have time and again made their stand very clear that they are opposed to the bridge from coming up in the khazan fields. We will reiterate our stand again on Monday when we call on the PWD Principal Chief Engineer”, he said.

Pinheiro further said the farmers will be basically attend the meeting hoping that the government will come out with a new alignment for the bridge. “If the government does comes  out with a new alignment, we will ask the PWD officials to hold a power point presentation to the farmers and to elicit their views on the new alignment before taking a final decision”, he said.

He added: “Since the government has invited the farmers, we will be attending the meeting to find whether the government has come out with any new plan for the bridge. Accordingly, we will take further action”.

The Loutolim farmers had last week vehemently protested over the demarcation exercise proposed by the PWD with heavy police protection. In fact, the farmers and activists had questioned the PWD officials whether they can carry out the demarcation when the agency is yet to obtain CRZ permission for taking up development in the khazan fields.

Pinherio has warned that the government should avoid playing with the khazan fields, fearing that any attempt to bulldoze the bridge through the fields will have disastrous consequences for the khazan lands.