Centre caps land acquisition process for new Borim bridge

MARGAO
Overruling all objections raised by farmers and other land owners, the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highway has capped the land acquisition process for the new high level Borim Bridge, with a notification issued on Thursday declaring that the land in question admeasuring 3.40 lakh sq mtrs vest absolutely with the Central government free from all encumbrances.

What’s interesting to note is that the government has issued the notification to cap the land acquisition process just five days before the petition filed by the beleaguered farmers and other land losers was scheduled to come up for hearing before the NGT on October 22.

“In pursuance of sub-section (2) of section 3 (D) of the National Highways Act, the Central government hereby declares that on publication of this notification in the Official Gazette, the land specified in the said Schedule shall vest absolutely in the Central government, free from all encumbrances,” the notification stated.

It was exactly a year ago on October 19, 2023 that the Government of India in the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways by a notification declared its intention to acquire the land specified in the Schedule annexed to the said notification for land acquisition for construction of high level new Borim Bridge along with approaches across river Zuari along with bypass to Borim Bridge between Km. 4/00 to Km. 12/00 (Proposed Bypass Length = 5.73 Km) on NH-566 in the State of Goa.

In response to the notification and publication, the Competent Authority was in receipt of various objections from persons interested in the land proposed for acquisition and the same have been considered by the Competent Authority before a report was submitted to the Central government.

Farmers from Loutolim and other land owners had filed their objections to the land acquisition process, but their objections were rejected. The farmers later filed rejoinders before the Competent Authority, but it found no takers.

The farmers led by the president of tenants association had knocked the doors of the local MLA, Environment Minister Aleixo Sequeira after officials of the PWD, National Highways and land survey department descended at Loutolim to place stones with strong police protection.

Sequeira later sought an appointment, first with Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and later with Union Minister for Road and Surface Transport Nitin Gadkari during his last visit to Goa, who directed the experts to study the grievances of the farmers and report back to the government.