Margao: Nearly six weeks after residents of Assolda, Xelvona, Hodor and surrounding villages forced a project proponent to back down from a proposed coal jetty at a state environment meeting in Panaji, Curchorem MLA Nilesh Cabral on Thursday reassured villagers of Xelvona that coal loading and unloading operations would not take place anywhere in the constituency.
He also extended that assurance to the proposed railway overbridge that has also drawn local opposition.“So long as I am the MLA of this constituency, there will be no unloading of even 1kg of coal anywhere in Curchorem constituency,” Cabral told villagers at an informal meeting.Cabral’s remarks came amid sustained protests against two proposals affecting the village — a coal jetty at Xelvona and a railway overbridge at a site objected to by locals. On the rail overbridge, Cabral said the project would not come up at the site locals have objected to, adding that the collector had not yet issued a no objection certificate.
