New road notification to affect 1k livelihoods: Mandrem locals

Mapusa: Mandrem residents want major district roads (MDRs) in the constituency to be registered as other district roads (ODRs). Locals said six 53km-long MDR roads are likely to affect nearly 1,000 structures and over 30% of constituents directly or indirectly.The high court has directed village panchayats to act against roadside illegal structures and submit reports. Govt notification states that a setback of 12.5m from the road centerline must be maintained.Locals say the new MDR road notification may severely impact Mandrem residents.MLA Jit Arolkar and villagers met chief minister Pramod Sawant, demanding changes to the TCP Act, cancellation of the MDR notification, and its denotification from the Regional Plan 2021.

Arolkar also discussed the impact with the CM and submitted panchayat resolutions.Under the banner of Jagrut villagers, locals said most Mandrem families are joint, and some are nuclear. They often build homes or small shops on ancestral land along the roadside and start small businesses.If the panchayat secretary submits survey reports, nearly 1,000 structures may face legal action, leading to mass unemployment.“Denotify the clause in the regional plan 2021 notifying 25m width MDR and maintain its width from 8-10m or as the existing roads,” the committee said.