Team Herald
SANGUEM: Curdi Wadem panchayat member Kushta Gaonkar has criticised the government for failing to rehabilitate the people evacuated for building Selaulim dam even after 20 years.
Addressing a press conference, Gaonkar claimed that even after 20 years of their rehabilitation, a large number of families still have not been provided with agricultural and housing plots.
He further claimed that after the height of Selaulim Dam was increased to 41 metres from the initial 37 metres, at least 107 agricultural plots, which were earlier provided to the Selaulim evacuees, have got submerged under water by the department and accordingly lump sum compensation of Rs 4 lakh was paid to some of these affected families.
Incidentally, even after having prepared the report of these plots facing submergence, the authorities are forcing other families who have not been provided with agricultural plots to opt for these plots thereby raising a sense of insecurity among the evacuees.
Gaonkar also claimed that since the government has, so far, failed to provide housing plots to some of the affected families, they are made to run from pillar to post in getting their grievances addressed.
Gaonkar also castigated the government for not providing ownership papers to the affected families who are allocated alternate plots at Zanodem and Nagvem wards of Molcornem panchayat.
The affected evacuees have now threatened to take legal action if the government fails to address the problems faced by the evacuees in the next six months.
