Sancoale residents upset as feast nears

Vasco/Panaji: While preparations to hold the feast of St Joseph Vaz at Our Lady of Health church, Sancoale, are in progress, a section of villagers raised an objection to the widening of the road leading to the site from the Cortalim-Vasco road.

Goa archdiocese has proposed to shift the feast venue from the sanctuary to the old Sancoale church with only its facade standing at the site. The ruins are being protected by department of archives and archaeology (DAA) as a state monument. On Wednesday, after officials from Mormugao planning and development authority, mamlatdar, deputy collector and others arrived at the venue to carry out demaracation for the road widening, some locals raised their objections.

"The road widening is being proposed to link an area where nobody lives and this could be used as a link later for a marina or some other project," a resident said. A few locals have also pointed out that as the church ruins are a protected monument, no activity can be carried out 100 metres from it. "But levelling and felling of trees has been done," a villager said.

A DAA official conceded that a complaint had been received objecting to the work near the site. Church authorities also allayed fears that the road is being broadened with an ulterior motive.