'Will have Nitin Gadkari meet protesters over Borim bridge issue'

MARGAO: Environment minister Aleixo Sequeira on Friday said the new Borim bridge was necessary because the existing bridge was in poor condition.
He even said he would facilitate a meeting of the protesting farmers with Union minister for road transport and highways, Nitin Gadkari, during the latter’s visit to Goa next week.
“The farmers are not disputing the need for a new bridge, the issue revolves around alignment and whose land should be procured,” Sequeira said and added that seven different alignments have been proposed to the farmers so far.
Earlier this week, protesting farmers met the PWD’s principal chief engineer demanding the realignment of the proposed bridge, following which a team of PWD engineers reviewed the proposed alignment afresh.
The PWD is yet to submit a report on the latest inspection.
The farmers had also met Sequeira earlier and had urged his intervention to prevent destruction of their paddy fields.
They had voiced their staunch objections to the bridge passing through or over khazan lands and had even expressed their determination to take to the streets in protest.
Stating that agriculture is their sole source of livelihood, the farmers had even denounced govt’s plan to snatch away their only means of eking out a living.
The team of the PWD and consultants had to retreat on multiple occasions because of the locals’ opposition.