Margao: Keeping up his word, Goa Forward Party President and Town and Country Planning Minister Vijai Sardesai has denotified the State High passing through heritage village of Chandor.
The action has been welcomed by the locals, who are thankful to the ministers for listening to their grievance and protecting heritage of the State.
GFP today held a press conference in Margao to announce the denotification of the SH8 and also to thank Sardesai for his quick action.
“ The villagers from Chandor were concerned about running of SH8 through the village which is having several ancient monuments,” GFP’s Cuncolim leader Yuri Alemao told reporters.
He said that they had met TCP minister and GFP president Vijai Sardesai with the request to look into the matter.
“He had assured us that he would denotify the SH8. This was one of the reason why I joined Goa Forward,” he said.
“At the onset I would like to thank, Sardesai. He has proved that Goa Forward party stands for Goem, Goemkar, Goemkarponn. He has worked to save our heritage of Chandor,” he added.
In the 163rd Board meeting he has denotified the state highway and also there was some gazetted order in 1977 which has been withdrawn.
“People are happy today. I would like to thank all the villagers because they imposed faith in us and we told them that whatever way we can help we would,” he said.
Party’s Vice President Durgadas Kamat said that on June 26, 2018, Yuri Alemao had come with the delegation demanding the scrapping of SH8.
“GFP President Vijai Sardesai had given assurance that if villagers don’t want that SH 8 passing through the heritage village of Chandor, then we will denotify it,” he recalled.
In the 163rd meeting of TCP Board, Sardesai, being a chairman took up the issue. The meeting was held in August, and it was adjourned and held in September, and the decision was taken to denotify the SH8.
Kamat said that on November 16, 2018, the State government has issued ordered to denotify the SH 8. “TCP has written to the Principal Engineer to make the changes in the PWD manual. This clears that GFP has been going to the people and fulfilling all the assurances,” Kamat added.
Former Urban Development minister and Cuncolim MLA Joaquim Alemao said that many of the well wishers had come to his house with the demand to denotify SH8.
“I gave them assurance that my friend Vijai Sardesai will help us out. Chandor is known for culture and heritage. We went to Sardesai, he assured us to look into our grievance,” he added.
