Team Herald
Pernem: Hundreds of people from Warkhand-Nagzar, Ugvem Tamboxem and surrounding villages backed by different political parties and social activists protested outside the Pernem Police station on Friday after Adv Jitendra Gaonkar, a Goa Forward Party member and Suryakant Chodankar of Goencho Avaaz were arrested for obstructing government servants from performing their duty.
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According to sources, officials were conducting survey work on Mopa airport site for the proposed National highway from Dadachiwadi Sukekolan to Mopa Airport when Chodankar and Gaonkar along with locals obstructed them from performing their duties.
A complaint was filed against the two and Pernem police arrested the two under different Sections of the IPC.
After their arrest, hundreds of people from different parts of Pernem taluka held a peaceful protest outside the Pernem police and condemned the police action.
The protesters who are mostly farmers from Warkhand-Nagzar, Ugvem Tamboxem and surrounding villages said, they are fighting to get back their land which the government has forcibly acquired and said they will not allow the government to acquire any more land for construction of roads or any other project.
“We are totally dependent on the forest and agriculture for our living. All these years we were doing farming activities for our survival but now the government has grabbed the land for different projects and forced us to depend on daily wage for our living. Now if the remaining land is taken for constructing roads then what are we supposed to do. The government is conducting surveys and demarcations which we will not allow,” said a protester.
“Adv Gaonkar and Chodankar are social workers who are booked for no reason so we condemn this act of the Pernem police. Dy CM who is also the Pernem MLA is using people for his self-development and not public development,” alleged Umesh Talavnekar another local.
“People will not keep quiet or allow any new road and if the government does not take cognizance of the same then it will see another Shel-Melauli in Pernem. Farmers are agitating for their right to live but the government is more bothered about roads which are not even required,” said another protester.
While condemning the Pernem police, Kiran Kandolkar acting president of Goa Forward said, “As per the 2014 land acquisition law, the government cannot acquire land anymore. In this regard, the BJP also tried to amend the land acquisition bill which the Rajya Sabha did not pass”.
“This land for the airport was acquired years back but was the government not aware of the roads that they will require in the future?”, questioned Kandolkar.
“This new highway is for the Delhitees who will have their star hotels in the surrounding of the airport and the local MLA Babu Ajgaonkar is trying to kill democracy in Pernem”, Kandolkar alleged.
“People are not against development but are fighting for their right. There is already an existing road from Dhargal to Mopa airport still the government is trying to have another highway. People have already lost their lands for several other projects including sports city, Ayush hospital etc. There is a lot of barren land in Pernem but still the government acquired agricultural land. This agitation will continue until the farmers get their land back”, said Deepak Kalangutkar.
