Pernem: Around 100 of farmers and villagers from Tulaskarwadi, Dadachiwadi, Nanachepani, Shemechadwan, Ugvem-Mopa, Varkhand-Nagzar Dhargal and other parts of Pernem taluka including man and women who had gathered outside the Mopa airport site on Friday morning were detained by Goa police for obstructing government officers from conducting land survey for the proposed six-lane link road from Mopa Airport to Dhargal.
They were later released.
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The villagers and farmers initially confronted the Dy Collector Pernem, Ravishekhar Nipanikar and demanded that the survey should stop and that the farmers will not allow the government to acquire more land.
Dy Collector Ravishekhar Nipanikar told the protesters that two days earlier, the affected farmers had held a discussion with the Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant.
“This survey is being carried out in accordance with the law. If anyone interferes, action can be taken against him. Therefore, no one should oppose the survey,” he said.
Initially, the farmers calmly presented their demands to Nipanikar. However, when the police gheroed the protestors, the situation went out of control.
Around 75 people along with leaders of Goa Forward Party Adv Jitendra Gaonkar, MGP leader Pravin Asolkar, Goa Suraksha Manch members and others were detained and taken to different police stations including Mapusa and Anjuna.
Protesters claimed that the Government used police force as it is trying to grab the land. “If the government is not trying to grab land, then there was no need for police force”, a protestor said.
“Government is trying to grab the land which we are not going to allow. Police may charge us under any Section of the IPC. We are even ready to go to jail”, claimed another agitator.
“Our children are jobless. We are totally dependent on this land for our livelihood. We are fighting for our rights. This is total injustice to us”, said a woman protestor.
Top police officials including DySP Gajanan Prabhudesai, DySP Sandesh Chodankar, Pernem PI Jivba Dalvi, Pernem Mamlatdar Anant Malik, Land Acquisition Officer Chandrakant Shetkar, Pernem Dy Collector Ravi Shekhar Nipanikar, Public Works Roads Officer Atmaram Gawde were present.
It may be recalled that for the last two months, Mopa Vimantal Pidit Sangharsh Samiti and the affected farmers are demanding proper compensation of the already acquired land.
The Dhargal panchayat and Nagzar-Warkhand panchayat had also passed resolution objecting to the proposed link road at the gram sabhas.
Also recently the farmers had a meeting with Pernem MLA and Dy CM Manohar(Babu) Azgaonkar at Nagzar. During this meeting, Ajgaonkar had clarified his position on the issue, however the farmers had decided that they would not give up their lands.
Followed this, a delegation of farmers met the Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant and had a discussion. After the discussion, the Chief Minister testified that the decision is in the interest of the farmers and no one should oppose the survey. However, the farmers are firm and claim that they won’t give away their agriculture land for the proposed road.
