Women farmers seek GSCW help to save fields
HERALD REPORTER
MARGAO, JUNE 6
Maintaining pressure on the government to abandon plans to rehabilitate migrants on lush green fields, women farmers from Aquem-Baixo has now knocked the doors of the Goa State Commission for Women (GSCW) to request the government not to acquire their fields at Rawanfond opposite the Margao railway station.
In a petition to the Commission, the women farmers sought the intervention of the Women’s panel to save their fields from forcible acquisition by the government to rehabilitate the migrants.
Saying that the fields are to be acquired to rehabilitate 18 men displaced from the Rawanfond road junction, the women farmers said this amounts to injustice to the women farmers and asked the commission to take up the matter with the government on a priority basis.
“These fields belong to our ancestors and we are our families have been cultivating them for more than 75 years. This is our only means of livelihood and most of us are dependent on agriculture for our survival”, the farmers claimed.
They pointed out that the men who are displaced from the Rawanfond road junction are actually illegal encroachers in private property belonging to a landlord. “They were aware that the Eastern bypass was passing over the junction and inspite of that they had erected their structures on the road side”, the petition said, adding that “while most of the displaced people has lost land admeasuring around 10 sq mts, the Chief Minster has sough to rehabilitate them by providing them 50 sq mts, besides cash”.
The farmers said the local MLA Churchill Alemao is also supporting them for fear of loosing his Ministership.
Saying the farmers are not educated, and falling under the OBC category, the farmers said the Goa government took the opportunity to manipulate the land acquisition process without their knowledge. “We have learnt that the government if offering Rs four per square meter for our land in a prime location, right opposite the Margao railway station”, the farmers termed it as cheating by the Goa government.
