Goa, April 21 -- Despite a meeting with Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Monday, residents of Bhoma village remain firm in their opposition to the proposed Panaji-Ponda highway expansion and continue to demand a bypass route.

The meeting marked the first direct dialogue between the Chief Minister and the protesting villagers in over two years.

During the discussions held at the Secretariat, the Chief Minister presented the proposed highway plan, assuring the villagers that only four houses in Bhoma would be affected by the construction and that no temples or other properties would be impacted. However, the assurances did little to change the villagers' stance.

The residents insist that they will only reconsider their position once Publi...