Porvorim: Chief minister Pramod Sawant on Monday assured that PWD minister Digambar Kamat will review the highway expansion works through Chinchinim, where locals are protesting the widening. His assurance came after opposition MLAs rushed to the well of the House to protest over the issue, after it was raised by Quepem MLA Altone D’Costa during Zero Hour.“PWD minister will review and whatever is best will be done,” Sawant said. He, however, did not accept the opposition demand that the work should be halted till then.After speaker Ganesh Gaonkar urged the MLAs to return to their seats from the well, the PWD minister said that the issues are being raised when the project is in its final stage.“The NOC from the comunidade was not issued at the required time and that is why a flyover could not be planned and it was planned to expand the existing road itself. You cannot make the Union ministry of highways rework the project again and again,” said Sawant.Kamat said that now that land has been acquired, the project has been tendered and the letter of intent handed to the contractor, the state cannot be expected to intervene. Kamat said that just because elections are drawing close, protesters should not think that govt will fold to any demand.“This issue has been ongoing since the time I was chief minister. The legislators had met me and I had told them that everything in the final stage, they are still making it an issue. No one has planned the project in secret, everything was known, presentation was made,” said Kamat.D’Costa said that the issue should not be politicised as it is the question of locals’ houses.“The land was already acquired for the project after which many constructed different things there. Now they are protesting. Many give an affidavit that once the project work begins they will remove their construction. They may think that the project will never be materialised. Once the project is seen taking place then they refuse to remove the construction. This issue is seen across Goa,” the PWD minister said.
