Villagers from Velsao, residing next to the existing railway track, are irked over the heavy-handed attitude of the Railway authorities. Velsao villagers have raised strong objection over the Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL) continuing the fencing work by blocking the traditional access pathway of the villagers near the railway track.
Orville Dourado Rodrigues, founding member of the Village Action Committee Against Double-Tracking (VACAD), informed Gomantak Times that it is shocking and disheartening to see that the RVNL personnel are continuing with the fencing work near the railway track without considering the views of the local villagers.
He further informed that on Friday few RVNL staff continued with their fencing work and blocked the traditional pathway/access to some plots. Rodrigues said that he is in possession of the court order issued in 2005, which was related to the traditional path. But presently, the RVNL personnel are busy with their double-tracking work, sidelining the villagers’ views.
He also claimed that there is no land acquisition happened in Velsao and questioned how the RVNL could continue the work without NOCs from land owners or acquisition of land. Rodrigues alleged that the RVNL is illegally intruding on private land and private forests without taking any permission from the authorities concerned.
Meanwhile, when efforts were made to know more about the RVNL’s scope of work at the railway track in Velsao and the reason behind villagers’ objection, SG Banerjee, DGM of RVNL, declined to comment on the matter.
