Team Goemkarponn
VELSAO: The Velsao Panchayat convened its gram sabha, with discussions dominated by the controversial double-tracking railway project. Tempers flared as villagers questioned the Sarpanch, Maria Gouveia, over a letter sent by the panchayat to Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL), which some perceived as softening the panchayat’s stance on the issue.
Former panch and social worker Roquezinho D’Souza voiced his concerns, alleging a shift in the panchayat’s position. “We obtained a copy of the letter written by the Sarpanch and the Village Development Committee (VDC) to RVNL just two days ago . It states they are not against development ( double tracking ) but seek sustainable development. This is a complete turnaround from their earlier promise to oppose double tracking outright. What has changed now?” he questioned.
D’Souza accused the Sarpanch and her panel, who had campaigned under banners like Goencho Ekvott and GRE, of misleading villagers. “During elections, they assured us they would never allow double tracking. They even said they would die on the tracks if necessary. Now, the same group is writing to RVNL, talking about sustainable development. There is no mention in their letter of outright opposition to double tracking. On one side , the Goencho Ekvott is claiming that they are opposed to the Railway works and on the other side, their Sarpanch is meeting the RVNL and writing letters to them showing their double standards, that has only caused more trouble to the village, ” he added.
He further questioned the transparency of the panchayat, citing the dismissal of a court case regarding double tracking. “They claimed their case in court was dismissed because the Panchayat has no say in the project. If that is true, why did they write to RVNL, especially behen the Panchayat has no say at all in these matters ? Why wasn’t the gram sabha informed about this dismissal or the meeting with RVNL in 2023? What is the hidden agenda here?. In case they were ok with the sustainable development since 2023, why are they still trying to put up and act of opposing the railways works to misguide and mislead the people ? ” D’Souza asked.
D’Souza also criticized the panchayat for allegedly instigating protests against the project while engaging in private discussions with railway authorities. “This group misled people, got them arrested, and put them in trouble. They blocked the Cortalim MLA Anton Vas from finding solutions, and now it seems they were secretly working with RVNL,” he said.
Sarpanch Denies Shift in Stance
Responding to the allegations, Sarpanch Maria Gouveia reiterated the panchayat’s opposition to the double-tracking project. “The letter to RVNL was written based on objections raised by the people. The Supreme Court has clarified that the Panchayat has no authority over double tracking, so the fight has to be taken up by individuals. We wrote to RVNL to highlight residents’ issues, including blocked waterways and noise and air pollution,” Gouveia said.
She refuted claims that the panchayat had softened its stance, stating, “We have not given any No Objection Certificate (NOC) to RVNL. The Panchayat neither owns the land nor has the authority to issue an NOC. Our focus remains on protecting villagers and the environment from the project’s impacts.”
Gouveia emphasized that the panchayat had demanded proper planning and mitigation measures from RVNL. “The railways are conducting work without demarcating land or sharing plans with us. When we asked for the plans, they showed us documents related to Cansaulim instead of Velsao. This is unacceptable. We cannot allow the people to suffer and we will not support the Railway works . We have always been and will continue to oppose the double tracking works ,” she added.
