CANACONA: Despite stiff opposition from the villagers to set up a Film City in their village, the Loliem-Polem Comunidade’s managing committee on Sunday went against the wishes of the people and gave its consent to the Entertainment Society of Goa (ESG) for setting up the controversial mega project in the village.
Following the comunidade’s consent, the villagers of Loliem of all ages gathered near the panchayat office in a peaceful protest.
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Earlier, the resolution was passed by 50-4 vote margin in favour of the film city at the specially conveyed meeting. According to the Comunidade’s Managing Committee, the total number of attendees was 54.
Speaking to O Heraldo, Vishwajit Varik, president of Loliem-Polem Comunidade informed that only four members from one family had opposed the resolution of consent whereas rest 50 have voted in favour of the consent to the Film City.
“The consent is given to lease the ten lakh sq mtrs of the Comunidade property for the term of 99 years. The proposed film city construction would be in 50,000 sq mts to one lakh sq mtrs but other land will be used for setting up film institute where many Goans will get training which will help them gain employment,” Varik said.
He said that the management and the villagers feel that the said project of Film City will benefit the entire taluka and the State as well.
Varik said that the entire project is non-polluting and all the people should support such project which will generate employment and will cause no harm to locals and the village.
He said that the resistance is uncalled for whereas the proposed Film City will generate power and treat garbage at the site.
“We have seen in entire Goa the opposition to any project without checking the facts. There is absolutely no need to oppose a green project, just giving a reason for people from other States to come and create nuisance. I say that the Film City project will boost tourism in Canacona and help the economy”, Varik said.
He informed that the Comunidade has resolved on Sunday that leasing powers of the property is given to the managing committee after the voting.
Comunidade’s Vice President Bhushan Prabhugaonkar said, “This was the right way to tackle encroachments on comunidade lands lying idle and the local businesses will get boost along with the local artistes.”
“There are more than 1,200 films produced all over India, so one can imagine the economical importance to the taluka and to the villagers,” Prabhugaonkar said.
Meanwhile, voicing their opposition to the Film City in the village, the villagers of Loliem of all ages gathered near the panchayat office in a peaceful protest against the Comunidade’s consent to the mega project.
Carrying placards that read, ‘Comunidade lands are common lands, not private property’ and ‘Villagers must decide, Comunidade must follow, State must comply’, and ‘Don’t grab our lands and livelihoods’, locals of all ages walked in a protest march.
“It is a sad decision by the comunidade members. We four have opposed it. They have still not realised the importance of this Bhagwati plateau. Also, during the meeting, they didn’t allow botanist Dr Ashish Prabhugaonkar, who has studied the ecological aspect of it, to make a point about the importance of this plateau. This only shows the vested interests and their plans to grab the land. No project details were given even after repeated demands. These illegal and unethical mega projects are a death knell for our villages,” said Om Prabhugaonkar, one of the four dissenting comunidade members who voted against the Film City.
Prabhugaonkar said that the entire process followed by the Comunidade to allot the land to the ESG is illegal.
“I am not going into the Film City issue, but want to raise the crucial issue of the Comunidade procedure. It is completely illegal and unlawful as per the Code of Comunidades,” Prabhugaonkar claimed.
Speaking to reporters Dennis Fernandes, a local said that the people are opposing the Film City in the village and alleged that there is a nexus between politicians and landlords.
“This is an attempt to grab the community land by the government”, he said.
Nearly 50 people participated in the protest.
It may be recalled that the ESG last year had advertised and sought an application for the requirement of the 250 acres of land having a clear title for the purpose of setting up a film city in Goa. Loliem-Polem Comunidade was the first institute to offer land for the setting up of the Film City in Canacona.
