Irregularities in NH 66 expansion flagged by Chinchinim residents

Margao: Residents of Chinchinim-Deussua raised serious concerns over alleged irregularities in the NH 66 expansion project, while renewing their decade-long demand for the Dandeavaddo bypass as the only viable solution to the traffic woes.Local residents alleged that despite assurances of no further land acquisition, additional land is now being sought under questionable circumstances. They claimed that new boundary stones are being installed while old ones are selectively retained or removed, ostensibly to “verify acquisition markings”, an explanation that raised widespread suspicion among affected families.Particularly troubling to residents is the apparent shift in alignment that seemingly protects illegal settlements while threatening ancestral homes that have existed for decades.

“The most worrisome point is the freezing of land 45m on either side of the acquisition,” said Nelson Lopes, a local resident who has been vocal about the irregularities.Residents have pointed out that the original land acquisition of 30m was specifically meant for a two-lane highway and was already completed.In a recent representation before the chief engineer at the regional office of the road transport ministry in Belapur, Maharashtra, village panchayat leaders forcefully articulated these concerns, as well as the locals’ long-standing demand for the Dandeavaddo bypass.