Cut-Off TNN | Mar 18, 2015, 02.00 AM IST Times Panchanama: Guirdolim-Salcete Isidore Domnick Mendes The village of Guirdolim is divided into two parts by a railway line passing through it. This has affected the 3,000-strong population of the village. For every time, they need to get across they have to make do with the daunting task of waiting excruciatingly at the railway crossing until the locomotive passes through. Guirdolim comprises 19 vaddos including Covatem, Kantem, Birbullem, Bandul, Ponsabhat , Mol 11, Modem, Niamorod, Ghod, Mathodi, Gall, Revorda, Bacho, Marrod, Kotting Gainal, Moll 1 ,Roinibhat, Anthoi and Kollos. It shares its borders with the villages of Curtorim, Macasana, Chandor and Assolda. These vaddos are situated on either side of the railway line and are separated from each other once the railway gate closes. For the record, the people of Guirdolim share this agony of waiting at the railway crossing along with the villages of Cansaulim-Arossim-Cuelim (Mormugao), Sanvordem ( Sanguem), and Seraulim (Salcete), who also have a railway line cutting through their lands. In Guirdolim, the Our Lady of Bethlehem Church, built in 1645, the graveyard and the market is on one side of the railway line, while the village panchayat and the St Francis Xavier chapel is on the other side. Road traffic in this village gets halted in regular frequency of every 30 minutes for the south central railway traffic including locomotive freight carriers and numerous passenger trains, to pass through.Between 7am and 8.30am and 4pm and 6.30pm, there is a serpentine queue of road traffic on both sides of railway gate. Guirdolim villagers, since the past many decades, have been demanding for a solution, either in the form of a rail overbridge and a vehicle underpass. Till date, the solution has eluded them. "Around the year, we face the inconvenience of the railway gate closing at regular intervals. Guirdolim is one of the most serene and beautiful villages of Goa. It is disheartening that the villagers are still waiting for a permanent solution," says Fr Jose Gomes, chaplain of St Francis Xavier Chapel. Says Luis R A D'Costa of Mol 11, "Our efforts have been futile. We, the people of Guirdolim, have spent energy and time for years pleading with the authorities by asking for a permanent solution in the form of an overbridge or an underpass motorized road. Our demands hardly matter for the powers-that-be." Villagers feel that the separation of Guirdolim from Chandor-Cavorim and the creation of two separate village panchayats; Chandor Cavorim on one hand and Guirdolim on the other, has led to the non-fulfillment of promises on development works in Guirdolim village by politicians. "Guirdolim should have been part and parcel of Chandor and Cavorim panchayat. No major work, including a solution to the railway crossing issue, has been given to us," says Antonio Vaz of Moll 1. Villagers blame political parties for the mess. From1977 till 2014, both the Congress and BJP has sent 12 MPs to the Lok Sabha. Congress had 10 MPs including Eduardo Faleiro (5 terms), Churchill Alemao (2 terms), and Francisco Sardinha (3 terms). From the BJP, Ramakant Angle served one 1 term, while current incumbent Narendra Sawaikar is serving his first term. Even during the campaigning for the last Lok Sabha polls in April 2014, BJP's South Goa candidate Sawaikar and then CM Manohar Parrikar, had promised that work on the overbridge in Guirdolim would begin in six months. There is no sign of this promise being fulfilled as of yet with 10 months having passed since the BJP formed the government at the Centre. "Guirdolim was carved as a separate unit from Chandor so that the village would get better developed. Unfortunately, development has taken a back seat. A lasting solution to the railway crossing issue looks like a mirage. The people of Guirdolim hardly believe that the authorities will ever deliver on their promise of a rail overbridge," says a young resident, Gillian D'Costa, from Mol 11. The panchayat is with the people in their demand for a solution. "The closed railway gate divides our village as they cannot travel from one end to the other. People of Guirdolim have faced unending problems in the absence of a solution to the railway crossing issue. The state government should request the central government to give us a rail overbridge as a priority," says sarpanch Sonia Dias. Concurs Flavia D'Costa, a panchayat member and a resident of Moll 1. "Getting a rail overbridge, as soon as possible, would be one of the most important gifts for Guirdolim after we were carved out as a separate village panchayat." Agrees Joe D'Souza of Roinibhat, "The authorities, whether the Centre, the state or the local panchayat, have to act in tandem to get the demand for the rail overbridge fulfilled." Cuncolim MLA Rajan Naik is brimming with confidence that before the end of his present tenure in March 2017, Guirdolim will have a rail overbridge."The Centre has approved the plan for a rail overbridge for Guirdolim. In the next two years, this dream for a rail overbridge will become a reality for the residents of this village," he said. Top View The state government should request the central government to give us a rail overbridge as a priority.Sonia Dias, sarpanch The Centre has approved the plan for a rail overbridge for Guirdolim. In the next two years, this dream will become a reality for the residents. Rajan Naik, MLA
People's take We have spent energy and time for years pleading with authorities for an overbridge or an underpass motorized road.Luis R A D'Costa, resident. A solution to the railway crossing issue looks like a mirage. The people hardly believe that the authorities will ever deliver on their promise. Gillian D'Costa, resident The authorities, whether the Centre, the state or the local panchayat, have to act in tandem to get the demand for the rail overbridge fulfilled .Joe D'Souza, resident Guirdolim should have been part and parcel of Chandor and Cavorim panchayat. No major work, including a solution to the railway crossing issue, has been given to us. Antonio Vaz, resident Problem Problem Migrant menace Like other parts of Goa, Guirdolim also faces the influx of migrants who reside in rented accommodation in the village. "The ratio of migrants to villagers is 3:1 and it is putting pressure on our village infrastructure such as water, electricity, market etc," says a villager on condition of anonymity. Internet connectivity With most of Goa getting onto the information superhighway, the people of Guirdolim also desire good internet connectivity. "As Guirdolim lacks smooth and uninterrupted net connectivity, villagers have a tough time in pursuing with their online work and tasks," says Gillian D'Costa, a young writer from Mol 11. Silted Lake Residents decry the neglected state of the lake in the village. "The lake, situated near the new railway station, lies in a decaying state as it has not been silted since years," says Luis R A D'Costa of Mol 11.Trivia Despite Guirdolim having its own village panchayat, almost all the residents of the village relate themselves with Chandor, the 11th century capital of the Kadamba dynasty. Among the famous children of Guirdolim was late maestro Remedios D'Costa. His house still exists in the village and it is known as Mastri Ghor. Other illustrious children of the village include Caesar Gomes, an expert in organic rice cultivation and Fr Simon Fernandes, professor at Rachol seminary.
