Vasco: Villagers of Arossim have filed their objections against the construction of the proposed overbridge by Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL), before the deputy collector and sub-divisional magistrate Mormugão, who is the land acquisition officer. The villagers fear that the overbridge will lead to their houses being demolished. The delegation claimed that the railway authorities had earlier planned to construct an underpass at Arossim, but they changed their plan. “An underpass is the right option as it will help commuters.

 

The government should adopt the latest technologies to construct the underpass and save the properties of the villagers,” said former forest and environment minister Alina Saldanha. She alleged that RVNL started cutting trees on a large scale without obtaining permission from the forest department.

 

Founder member of Goencho Ekvott Orville Dourado Rodrigues said, “The agitated villagers will launch a mass movement against the double tracking project of the Railways as they plan to construct the overbridge by acquiring 15m land instead of the 6m land that they had proposed earlier,” said Rodrigues. Social activist Olencio Simoes said the railways should adopt the model of the Chandor underpass in Arossim, where the cost of the project will be saved to a great extent.