PWD unfazed by opposition to new Zuari bridge project

SHOAIB SHAIKH | NT Staff Reporter
PANAJI
Unfazed by opposition to the land acquisition, the public works department has said the widening of the national highway 17 (renumbered as 66) and construction of the new Zuari bridge are a special project of the Union ministry and people cannot oppose the project.
Special process is followed for the land acquisition in all the projects of national highways, the department has stated.
PWD’s principal chief engineer Uttam Parsekar, told ‘The Navhind Times’ that the due process was being followed in acquiring land for the Zuari bridge project, which includes approach roads on either sides of the new bridge.
“The land acquisition process is being undertaken as per the procedure, and the department’s land acquisition officer is following up with the matter,” he stated when asked about the opposition from the locals of Agacaim village on the northern side of the Zuari bridge.
Raising an alarm, the locals have alleged that the government did not consult them or inform them about the project and eviction notices have been served to them.
Assistant engineer of works division XIV and land acquisition officer for the project Prasad Panandikar said that around 30 houses would be demolished to facilitate the construction of approach road on the northern side of the bridge.
Panandikar said the process had begun with the official notification being published in the state gazette on October 3, earlier this month and subsequent publication in the newspapers on October 13.
The government would try to acquire the land as early as possible, since the date of handing over of the land to the contractor has already lapsed, he said, adding that “the government has to hand over land to the contractor within 90 days from the commencement of the project which have already passed.”
When asked as how the department plans to tackle the opposition to the land acquisition process, Panandikar said, “There is no option of opposing the project as the national highway projects are special projects and they are processed on expressed model.”
He said the government was liable to pay compensation of four times the market price, as notified in the gazette by the government. “The people will be highly compensated for the land that the government is acquiring… they will receive compensation of four times the actual compensation,” he stated.