MARGAO: Farmers and their well wishers gathered in large numbers at the fields earmarked to store the residue following bioremediation of the Sonsoddo dump yard and accused the Margao Municipal Council of even misleading the courts to destroy the last vestiges of agriculture in the city.
Addressing the gathered crowd, former MMC Chairperson Savio Coutinho pointed out that the land was sought to be acquired in 2003 for a truck terminus. However, as the farmers challenged this in court, the District Court vide order dated January 22, 2015 set aside the land acquisition process and returned the land to the farmers.
“The court held that the land acquisition process had lapsed as the farmers were not issued proper orders nor were they paid the compensation and further the government did not take possession of the land,” he said adding that the farmers have been continuously cultivating the land.
In fact after harvesting the left over sheaves of paddy could be seen at various places in the field where at one place somebody was preparing the land to cultivate vegetables now.
MMC has now demarcated 5000 sq mts of the total 28,000 sq mts of land with a green net. “Initially we thought that some farmer was preparing the land to grow vegetables but then we realized that MMC was doing it and taking the excuse of a High Court order,” said Claudio Dias a farmer.
He said MMC has deliberately lied to the court and they were not party to the suit going on in the High Court where on 6th December the court asked MMC to allot 5000 sq mts of its land to store the residue of bioremediation at Sonsoddo.
Savio suggested that the 4000 sq mts of land near Sonsodo whose owner is willing to allow to be used to store the residue of bioremediation be used instead of destroying fertile fields which are cultivated by people.
The gathered crowd then resolved to oppose wholeheartedly any attempt to dump the residue on the fields and even resolved to move to the court to protect the farmers’ rights.
