Sangolda VP says yes to MDR-8 with slight changes 1 May 2009, 0719 hrs IST, TNN Print Email Discuss Share Save Comment Text: PANAJI: Overriding opposition from a section of villagers, the Sangolda panchayat has proposed a change in the route of the major district road (MDR-8) passing through the village and suggested that it be routed westward, along the hill, from the Chogm road to Pilerne. Opposing villagers had insisted that this routing would destroy the last patch of green in the area.
While suggesting the hillside route that will pass not far away from the Pilerne lake, members at the gram sabha held on Sunday, also mooted a few changes in the road's alignment. "The villagers have agreed to this route and recommended some changes to avoid damage to the half a dozen houses on the route," panchayat secretary N S Nagvekar told TOI. Incidentally, at earlier meetings, villagers had opposed the PWD's proposal to broaden the Chogm road into an MDR. They had claimed that the broadening of the road would destroy the village's built and natural heritage. "A lot of greenery and many ancestral houses with heritage value would have to be razed for the broadening," a villager had said. A section of the gram sabha at those meetings, had further suggested that the existing road from Porvorim Tisk to Saligao, passing along Guirim border, be broadened to avert the destruction. The panchayat secretary too said that the broadening of the Chogm road "is not feasible". Disregarding the opposition to the MDR as well as the Porvorim Tisk to Saligao diversion proposal, the gram sabha on April 26, chaired by deputy sarpanch Nilkant Mhapsekar, okayed a proposal to lay the MDR-8 through the forest area owned by the Sangolda comunidade and partly contracted to the forest department for afforestation. The proposed 25 m broad link from Porvorim to Baga, approved on Sunday, starts near the slope on Chogm road and passes barely 500 m through Sangolda, westward towards Pilerne and Saligao. Meanwhile, Sunday's meeting also approved the minutes of the controversial last meeting on February 8, in which some villagers had alleged that they were prevented from presenting their viewpoint or making suggestions as mostly settlers in the village had taken up the seats and limited space in the panchayat hall. "Though the government had extended the deadline for submission of RP 2021 to April 15, the plan was hurriedly approved on February 8 itself," sources told TOI. The RP 2021 for the village has proposed a children's park, health facilities and other infrastructure. The villagers avail education and market facilities from adjoining villages. A proposal for a playground is also likely to become a reality. "Garbage is not much of a problem and a need to collect it is not felt, but plastic garbage is collected," Nagvekar said. Regarding objections to the proposed hillside route via Pilerne and also the alleged passing of RP 2021 on February 8, Nagvekar said, "Nobody raised objections on Sunday when the minutes were approved and no written objections were received." However, some villagers said that suggestions and objections were made in writing, but ignored deliberately. The panchayat secretary conceded that the panchayat hall is inadequate to accommodate all villagers. "We are trying to extend the hall for more space," he said. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Goa/Sangolda-VP-says-yes-to-MDR-8-with-slight-changes/articleshow/4469302.cms -- FN * http://fredericknoronha.wordpress.com http://twitter.com/fn M +91-9822122436 P +91-832-2409490 http://fredericknoronha.multiply.com/ http://goa1556.goa-india.org Sent from Pune, MH, India "Nothing helps scenery like ham and eggs." - Mark Twain --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ This message comes via the Google Groups "Saligao-Net" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/saligao-net?hl=en Please post regularly to keep the e-village active! -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
