BY ROQUE DIAS|NT NETWORK
MARGAO: After much hue and cry was raised over the truck terminus project proposed to come up near the entrance of the Margao city, the project seems to lie in cold storage. Though the land--- 1, 37, 000 sq mts was acquired by the government, after acquiring it from farmers of the Maddel areas, it was handed over to the Goa State Urban Development Agency, (GSUDA) in 2003- 2004. Till today, the project remains a distanced dream.

Worse still, another piece of land measuring around 25, 000 sq mts was acquired by the government and handed over to the department of transport to build a separate bus stand for south bound buses and also to accommodate truck parking, near the Konkan Railway Station, Margao. This plan too, remains in limbo. In the absence of a truck terminus, trucks are seen parked at the eastern and western by-pass roads—much to the discontent of the locals, who complain that these stops lead to a lot of traffic congestion as well raises concerns regarding the character background of these truck drivers and cleaners who wander in and around the localities and ‘dirty’ them.
“A truck terminus is needed for the growing and fast developing city of Margao. If, both the places are not suitable for a truck terminus, then the government, should find another suitable place, as the truck-terminus is very important to ease traffic congestion in the city  as well as maintain traffic discipline,” says a flat owner of Munj Vihar area, a place where most of the trucks are seen parked.
 Many senior citizens of the area while speaking to The Navhind Times, voiced fears that the drivers and cleaners of these trucks roam around the area and are often involved in robberies, and cases of eve teasing. They urged the authorities to solve the problem with a genuine solution.
The former president of the Goods Transport Officer Association, Mr Prakash Bikaji Kavlekar said that they had submitted a memorandum to the then urban development minister, and also to the present CM, Mr Digambar Kamat highlighting the grievances of the transporters.
“A truck terminus is a must for Margao as there are nearly 200 to 250 trucks that operate from this commercial capital,” opines Mr Kavlekar. He recalls that a foundation stone was laid to build a terminus but till today, nothing has taken shape.
Adds, Mr Sudakar Sail, area manager of Deccan Queen Transport Company, “A truck terminus is required in such a way that everything--- repair house, rest rooms, canteen, etc are under one roof.” He also said that they pay huge amounts in the form of taxes to the government and therefore it was the government’s duty to make provisions for a specious truck terminus in Margao.
A truck driver, when contacted said that some people punctures their tyres during the night and also extort money from them. They accuse a few police men of threatening them while they were sleeping in the truck and harassing if their palms were not greased. The member secretary of the GSUDA, Mr Daulat Hawaldar confirmed that the project was not started even though the land was acquired at Maddel, some years ago, but could not specify the reasons for the long delay. Sources however informed that there was strong opposition to the project from the locals.
When the project was announced earlier, the local councilors---past and present—along with hundreds of supporters staged a morcha at the collectorate building to protest against the proposed project of truck terminus at Maddel. The locals also gained some political support and their growing opposition was heard by the urban development minister, and so the project was kept in abeyance, sources added. Sources also said that the land once acquired by the government cannot be reverted back to those from whom the land was acquired. The government has to think of another project to utilise the said land, if the project of a truck terminus does not see the light of day.
“If the projects are executed, at any place in Margao, than the traffic pressures will be greatly eased, both within the city and outside the city,” says the deputy collector, Salcete, Mr Johnson Bedi Fernandes. “The land that was acquired was cultivable land. Many farmers depended on it for their livelihood. The government without taking these farmers into confidence simply commenced the process of land acquisition in 2004. And, when objections were raised, the project sank,’’ says the local councilor, Mr John Crasto, when contacted.
The locals would not accept the project of truck terminus at any cost at Maddel, he added. Mr Crasto said, “We would welcome a good project on this land, but certainly not the truck terminus,” Mr Crasto said and added that they would repeat an agitation, if needed, to thwart plans of any project that is not acceptable to the locals.