Land acquisition notified, proceedings initiated to acquire 3,82,786 sq mtrs of land; citizens raise apprehensions over demolition of houses, freezing of 40 sq mtrs on either side of highway
MARGAO
It’s official. The proposed Cuncolim road bypass on the NH66 will finally start at Uskini bandh-Cuncolim, just 200 metres ahead of the bustling town, before joining the NH66 at Bendordem-Balli, indicating that the earlier proposal to build the road bypass from Sarzora running parallel to the Konkan railway tracks has not found favour with the Union government.
That the Union Road Surface Transport Ministry has notified land acquisition proceeding to acquire land admeasuring 3,82,786 sq mtrs, on the stretch from Uskini Bandh, Cuncolim to Bendordem area in Balli village indicates that the Centre has finally settled for the Uskini bandh-Bendordem alignment for the Cuncolim road bypass.
The consultant engaged by the Union Road Transport Minister had earlier prepared three alignments for the Cuncolim bypass. The Uskini bandh-Bendordem alignment seemed to have found favour with the Centre for the simple reason that the National highways have in their possession acquired land for the highway expansion along the existing highway right up Uskini bandh.
Sources in the know informed that the Centre seemed to have settled for the Uskini bandh bypass alignment to save cost of the highway expansion than going for long-term planning. For, while the Cuncolim bypass is expected to divert the movement of all national highway heavy traffic through the bustling town as and when it finally sees light of the day, the bypass is now planned through the adjoining populated areas.
It is not out of place to mention here that the Cuncolim Municipal Council had around a decade ago proposed in the RP 2011 to build the Cuncolim bypass via Sarzora and Balli, running parallel to the Konkan railway tracks as part of long-term planning.
While Goa government officials may try to allay apprehensions in the minds of the people that the Uskini bandh-Bendordem alignment will result in the demolition of a handful of houses, what may raise concern amongst the citizens is the provision wherein land admeasuring 40 sq mtrs is frozen for development on either sides of the highway.
LoP under lens of citizens over new bypass alignment
MARGAO: Leader of Opposition, Yuri Alemao, who represents Cuncolim constituency in the Goa Legislative Assembly, has come under the lens of the people over the Cuncolim road bypass from Uskini bandh-Cuncolim to Bendordem-Balli.
For, it was Yuri along with his father, two-time Cuncolim MLA Joaquim Alemao, had launched an agitation in the year 2018-19 along with the people of Panzorconne when the National Highway had proposed to build the Cuncolim bypass along the existing highway via Panzorconne.
When The Goan contacted the Opposition leader to shed light on the Cuncolim road bypass given that the PWD, National Highways have notified land acquisition for the bypass construction, Yuri said he has been constantly following up the matter with Goa government officials to see that houses are not demolished to make way for the bypass. “On one hand, we need the bypass to ease acute congestion in the Cuncolim market area. On the other hand, it would be my endeavour that the road bypass does not result in demolition of houses,” he said.
When his attention was drawn to the agitation launched by him around 2018-19 demanding construction of the bypass along the railway tracks from Sarzora to Balli, Yuri said, “when the alignment running parallel to the Konkan railway tracks was first proposed around a decade ago, there were hardly any houses along the alignment. Today, one will come across over 80 houses along the railway track alignment.”
On the other hand, the Opposition leader pointed out that the Cuncolim bypass along the Uskini bandh-Bendordem stretch may result in the demolition of 3-4 houses and structures. “I am actively following up with the government agencies to spare the houses along the bypass route,” he added.
Activist red-flags land acquisition notification, says Cuncolim civic body bypassed
MARGAO: Cuncolim-based social activist Ronny Dias has red-flagged the land acquisition notification issued by the PWD, National Highways for the Cuncolim road bypass, saying the government agencies completely bypassed the local Cuncolim Municipal Council before setting in motion the proposal for the land acquisition.
Terming the project as an unplanned project, Dias said the Cuncolim Municipal Council, the local government body and a constitutional Authority as per the 74th Constitutional Amendment, was never kept in the loop in the planning process of the NH66 alignment.
“Development does not mean demolishing the houses of citizens. Development of the people is development of the nation and not the demolition of their houses/properties. Hence demolitions cannot be termed as development of the nation nor of any national interest. Development should be inclusive and not exclusive,” he said, in his letter addressed to the special Land Acquisition officer.
He lamented that CMC was not even informed of the land acquisition notification and neither were any documents/ plans shared with the local civic body either before or after the publication of the notification.
He has called upon the Special Land Acquisition officer to reconsider the acquisition alignment by taking the CMC and the affected owners into confidence. Dias has also called for giving more time for the public to study the notification and to file their objections.
