The Hindu : Karnataka News : Goa's road-widening project full of potholes

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Wednesday, Dec 08, 2010
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Karnataka

Karnataka

Goa's road-widening project full of potholes

Special Correspondent

NHDAC alleges discrepancies in site inspection

'Cancel the contract of consultants for mistakes'
NHDAC considering filing a plea with panel

PANAJI: The National Highway Diversion Action Committee (NHDAC), the body opposing reckless widening of national highways, on Tuesday reiterated its demanded that the State Government scrap the entire project and put on hold land acquisition.

Convenor of NHDAC Sunil Desai released copies of the report made by the Competent Authority for NH4-A(north) under sub section (1) of Section 3-D of the National Highways Act in this regard and pointed out that there were many discrepancies and confusion while doing the site inspection and demarcation of the area as prepared by the consultants, Wilbur Smith Associates Pvt. Ltd.

It would be advisable not to proceed with the land acquisition. , he said. After a hearing of the Goa Assembly House Committee on this subject on November 24, the Government revoked the instructions issued by it to keep the land acquisition proceedings on hold. It was directed that a report under Section 3-D could be submitted by the office of the competent authority to the Centre with respect to the land required to be acquired in the non-controversial segments of the NH 4A pertaining to north Goa district.

However, the NHDAC was opposed to the competent authority's decision to overrule the objections and go ahead with the process, revoke earlier decision of the Government to keep the land acquisition proceedings on hold as stated in report under Section 3-D.

Mr. Desai and other members of NHDAC wondered why the whole process was not brought to a standstill when it was realised that there were discrepancies in site inspection and demarcation done in the area by the consultants.

To a question, he said the NHDAC would now file a petition with the Goa Assembly House Committee on this issue and demand the project be scrapped and if the Government really wanted widening of the national highways, it had to go by the hinterland or mid-land alignment as had been suggested in the draft Goa State Regional Plan 2021 by the State Government itself.

The NHDAC was opposed to the present alignment which passes through thickly populated coastal villages and suburbs on account of dust and noise pollution.

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