Team Goemkarponn
CORTALIM: Cortalim MLA Antonio Vas on Friday appealed to landowners to cooperate with development works by providing No Objection Certificates (NOCs) for internal village roads, stating that several important connectivity projects continue to remain stalled due to the absence of permissions from private property owners.
Vas was speaking after inaugurating road improvement works worth around ₹47 lakh at Sai Vihar in Velsao. He said the road project had remained pending for nearly five years despite repeated requests from local residents.
“The demand for this road was raised before me several years ago, but the work could not commence because the required NOCs were not available. Only after the permissions were secured recently could the work finally begin on a war footing for the benefit of villagers,” Vas said.
He noted that similar problems are affecting several interior roads across villages and urged landowners to support projects that serve the larger public interest. According to the MLA, proper road connectivity is crucial for residents, especially during emergencies and the monsoon season.
Social worker Roquezinho D’Souza, who was present at the function, said several government housing schemes lose their effectiveness if beneficiaries do not have proper road access to their homes.
Referring to the Mhaje Ghar scheme, D’Souza said many beneficiaries continue to face difficulties because houses remain inaccessible due to the absence of internal roads.
“The government has initiated the process of legalising houses for people, but if there is no road connectivity, the purpose of the scheme is defeated. Landlords should come forward and provide NOCs in the interest of villagers,” he said.
D’Souza also demanded that the government consider land acquisition in cases where landowners refuse to grant permissions for essential public roads.
He further pointed to the long-pending road project at Kanten Bellem, which, according to him, has remained unresolved for nearly five decades due to disputes over NOCs.
“The starting and ending portions of the road have already been completed, but the middle stretch is still pending because of the NOC issue. Residents continue to face inconvenience, and the situation will worsen during the monsoon,” D’Souza added.
Residents attending the inauguration welcomed the completion of the Sai Vihar road and expressed hope that other pending road connectivity issues in the constituency would also be addressed soon.
