Vasco: Goencho Ekvott has recently presented a memorandum to the Deputy Collector and Sub-Divisional Magistrate, Mormugao, Sachin Desai, requesting him to scrap the land acquisition for doubling of the railway track and withdraw the personal hearing into the said project.
Convener of Goencho Ekvott Creson Antao along with Olencio Simoes and other members presented the memorandum to the deputy collector and sub-divisional magistrate Mormugao, requesting him to scrap the land acquisition for the doubling of the railway track and withdraw the personal hearing into the said project which is connecting Vasco from Hospet-Hubli-Tinaighat via Kalem.
The memorandum addressed to Desai who is also the land acquisition officer for the special project of doubling of the track states that “it is crystal clear that this special project of doubling track from Hospet-Hubli-Tinaighat-Vasco-da-Gama is not for the public purpose but for the benefit only some companies as this track will facilitate transportation of cargo from berths 5A and 6A at Mormugao Port Trust (MPT) to a steel company and captive power plant at Toranagallu in Bellary district of Karnataka.”
“We are writing to you with a grave concern to bring to your attention that the under the Ministry of Shipping, Indian Ports Association had prepared final report on Sagarmala (Vol-II) in which Fourteen Coastal Economic Zones have been identified along the Indian coastline, one of which is Goa. To implement the objectives of Coastal Economic Zones in Goa, the master plan for MPT Goa, prepared by AECOM in final report for Sagarmala (Vol- V) clearly states that MPT will be connected to industrial steel plants in South Maharashtra and Northern Karnataka through road, rail, inland and coastal waterways. We are a generation that not only face the effects of climate change, but also the declining biodiversity, freshwater sources, arable land shortage apart from the effects of pollution and degradation of quality of land, air and water. We want to draw to your attention that around 24 village panchayats in the year 2020 have passed resolution against double tracking from Vasco to Kalem by South Western Railway (SWR) in their respective jurisdiction. Therefore, we demand with you to work in the interest of the state, and as land acquisition officer and the deputy collector of Mormugao to drop immediately and cancel personal hearing and any intention to acquire land of 60,177 square metres for special project, namely Hospet-Hubli-Tinaighat-Vasco-da-Gama doubling, failing which you will be responsible for law order situation in the state.”
