Team Herald
PONDA: A farmer from Kavlem who had given up 3,200 sq mts of his ancestral agricultural lands to make way for the new 15 MLD-Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) in Ponda held a protest outside the STP along with his family on Wednesday, claiming that he has not received compensation for his land yet.
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Calling it a ‘land grab’ by the government, farmer Tukaram Gavade and his family have demanded that the authorities postpone the inauguration of the STP, which is scheduled for Thursday, until they fulfil the assurances, they gave him while acquiring the land for the project.
Gathered outside the STP site, the Gavade family expressed anger against the government, claiming that their land was acquired for the project seven years ago, with a written assurance that they would receive fair compensation for the fertile farmlands. “We were promised two government jobs, and that a hall, with the capacity to seat 1,000 people, would be built on another piece of land we own near the highway, within six months of me issuing an NOC for the construction of the STP. Till date, none of these promises have been delivered upon,” said Gavade. “I lost my sole source of livelihood when I gave up my fertile land and now, I’m struggling to make ends meet. I used to cultivate two crops a year. My family is furious that this STP is going to be inaugurated tomorrow. We feel cheated by the government, which took an irrevocable NOC from us,” said Gavade.
“Local MLA and then PWD Minister Sudin Dhavlikar had assured that he would compensate us and had directed the Sewerage Department’s official Dilip Dhavlikar and AE Pradeep Gaude to fulfil our demands. However seven years have now passed; neither did we get government jobs, nor has the hall been constructed, said Gavade, adding that he has run from pillar to post to meet the Chief Minister, the Governor, local MLA and PWD Minister, but was not offered any recourse.
Locals from Kavlem who were present at the protest site said that the people of Goa keep opposing developmental works in their villages, as the government fails to compensate them for the sacrifices they make for these projects.
