Locals in Chinchinim, Goa oppose purchasing further land to widen NH66

10 Mar 2023 CW Team

The Chinchinim residents have voiced their opposition to the additional land acquisition for the National Highway 66 widening project from the Navelim bypass to Cuncolim. The land losers have reaffirmed their request to the government to build the bypass route rather than opting for road widening while making a modest plea to the Special Land Acquisition officer to abandon the proposal to acquire further land.

One of the land losers argued that the government should stop acquiring their ancestral land while pointing out that the government had already acquired their land for the widening of the national highway about twenty years ago. All the landowners whose property has been proposed for acquisition for the NH 66 expansion have voiced their opposition, according to Sarpanch Valentino Barretto. He asked to know whether it was appropriate for the government to purchase more land after previously purchasing it for the construction of the Highway.

The sarpanch reported that Dandeavaddo's people in Chinchinim had been calling for a road bypass rather than the construction of a flyover along the highway section that runs through the village. "We had suggested building a road bypass from Sirlim to Sarzora, where it would connect to NH 66. The people of Cuncolim have also been demanding a road bypass running parallel to the Konkan railway tracks,” he said.

However, he bemoaned that the Union Surface Transport Ministry had recently completed plans to expand the NH 66 along the existing stretch without taking the requests of the Chinchinim and Cuncolim communities into account. “The locals of Dandeavaddo-Chinchinim have been calling for a road bypass, but the PWD has proposed a flyover. The future traffic needs would have been met by a road bypass, but the PWD and the government seem determined to build the Navelim-Cuncolim section of the highway on the existing route without a bypass,” Valentino continued.

Infrastructure Transport

19 Dec 2025

Tripura Rail Survey Approved For Jirania–Bodhjung Link

The Ministry of Railways has approved a Final Location Survey (FLS) for a proposed new railway line between Jirania and Bodhjung Nagar in Tripura. The planned section will span 14 km and is estimated to cost around Rs 4.2 million, with the entire alignment located within West Tripura district. The approval marks a key step towards strengthening railway infrastructure and supporting industrial growth in the state. Bodhjung Nagar is Tripura’s principal industrial and commercial hub, developed mainly for resource-based industries such as rubber, bamboo and food processing. The proposed Jirania..

MCF Raebareli Rolls Out Its 15,000th Passenger Coach

The Modern Coach Factory (MCF) in Raebareli, Uttar Pradesh, has reached a major production milestone with the manufacture of its 15,000th passenger coach on December 15, the Ministry of Railways said. During the current financial year 2025–26, the unit has produced a total of 1,310 coaches so far. Established in 2007 at Lalganj in Raebareli, MCF is among India’s most advanced passenger coach manufacturing facilities. Built at a cost of around Rs 31.92 billion, the factory has an installed annual capacity of 1,000 coaches and is located about 3 km from Lalganj on the Kanpur–Raebareli Roa..

RVNL Wins Gandak River Rail Bridge Contract

Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL) has received a Letter of Award from North Eastern Railway for a major railway infrastructure project valued at Rs 1.65 billion. The contract relates to the construction of the substructure for a key railway bridge over the Gandak River. The bridge will be constructed between Paniyahwa and Valmikinagar stations as part of the doubling of the Gorakhpur Cantt–Valmikinagar railway section. Designed to enhance capacity and operational efficiency, the structure will comprise 14 spans of 61 metres each and will be supported by double D-type well foundations. The des..