Team Herald
PONDA: Despite recently opposing the government’s bid to demarcate land for a drinking water bandhara in their village, WRD officials arrived with police protection to initiate the process on Thursday, taking the residents of Murdi-Khandepar by surprise.
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They are particularly irked by the government’s haste to complete demarcation before a public hearing, scheduled for May 15, is held to discuss the issue, and have stated that any work carried out before the hearing is illegal. They have also threatened to file a complaint before the Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority.
According to the locals, including those living on the Sonarbag-Usgao side, tenancy and agricultural laws prohibit the state from undertaking any construction on tenanted land.
Khandeparpanch AbhijitGawde expressed surprise over WRD officials arriving at Murdi despite a public hearing scheduled for May 15. “The villagers are annoyed because the WRD itself had sent a letter to the Khandepar panchayat stating that it would hold a public meeting to discuss the construction of the bandhara,” he said.
The villagers have warned that they will not allow any kind of work to be initiated at the site until detailed information about the bandhara is provided during the public hearing.
