Team Goemkarponn
VELSAO: Goencho Ekvott which has since June 2020 espoused the desire of the people of Goa especially related to the anti-coal and anti-railway double tracking movement today held a press conference at the epicentre of the movement Mollo, Pale village in the jurisdiction of VP Velsao, Pale & Issorcim along with the affected villagers.
At the meeting conveyed on 06th November 2024 by the Collector (South) with the affected villagers, the South Goa MP Captain Viriato Fernandes had made a demand that until the land demarcation process was completed in all respects all construction activities by the South Western railway contractor RVNL to be halted in survey no. 18/1, Mollo, Pale village which was agreed to by RVNL in the presence of the Deputy Collector (Revenue) among others. It was also agreed that ISLR would conduct the land survey/demarcation on 12th November 2024. This was postponed to the 18th November 2024 where again the ISLR did not turn up as notified to us officially on both occasions. In the interim the railways continued their construction activities without respite even working late hours while criminally trespassing into private property with heavy construction machinery.
On 18th November 2024 Goencho Ekvott wrote to the Collector (South), the SP (South), the Deputy Collector, the Mamlatdar, the PI, the Inspector of Survey & Land Records among others notifying the authorities of the gross violations committed by the Railways. Another complaint of criminal trespass was filed by the affected land owners of Mollo, Pale.
Founder Member Orville Dourado Rodrigues stated that the government is mandated to follow and implement the law of the land, and act impartially towards its citizens. However in the present scenario the double engine government is bending backwards to accommodate the requirements of the coal mafia which is the primary reason for double tracking despite the fact that locals have since 2012 have objected to the land acquisition process, have produced their land records proving their title ownership, have constructed residential houses with the written consent of the railways. In addition to this the railways have repeatedly ignored the Right of Way (ROW) of the locals thus rendering them landlocked with no access even to their neighbours. In addition the railways have dumped mud in the streams and rivulets thus restricting the natural flow of storm water thus creating immense hardship to the locals.
Orville questioned whether the railways are following the law in letter and spirit or is it that the double engine government is OK for the criminal trespassing by the railways at the cost of Goans in their own land?
Among others who spoke were Joint Secretary Olencio Simoes, Executive Member Jayesh Shetgaonkar and local villager Valente Goes on behalf of the land owners who lamented that their pleas to the local authorities have fallen on deaf ears.
The locals resolved to support Goencho Ekvott in its struggle to fight the unjust policies of grabbing their inherited land of the locals by using unfair means even to the extent of filing fabricated criminal cases against them.
