Special Correspondent
Panaji
The government on Tuesday said that “no capacity expansion of coal transportation will be permitted in the state”.
“It has come to notice that certain reports have suggested that additional land is being acquired for coal handling in connection with the Hospet-Vasco double-tracking project. These reports are incorrect and therefore needs to
be clarified to present the right facts about the project,” the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) said in a press statement.
The Union Railway Ministry had recently announced the commissioning of 312 km of the 363 km project, aimed at speeding up the transportation of coal, iron ore, and steel, while also boosting tourism in Goa and Hampi. The related work in Karnataka is complete, but the Goa segment remains pending forest clearance as the line passes through the Bhagwan Mahaveer Wildlife Sanctuary and Mollem National Park.
The government further stated, “As clarified by Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL), the limited acquisition of 0.6 hectares initiated by the Ministry of Railways in Cansaulim, Sancoale and Issorcim village is solely for banking/stabilisation support to safeguard nearby houses, provision of road access to landowners, and correction of alignment mismatches identified in earlier surveys.”
“The project will facilitate tourism development and the faster movement of existing freight, including coal, in a manner that reduces incidental pollution by decreasing exposure time,” the note stated.
The clarification comes amidst repeated apprehensions raised by opposition parties, civil society groups, and residents that the double-tracking project is intended to push coal handling and transportation in Goa.
