The villagers of Chimbel are debating over a proposed IT Park for which three lakh of sq mts of land has already been acquired by the government. The Village Panchayat and the locals are not opposing the IT Park. However, their demand is that the government should first take up some development work in the village. They claim that Chimbel has been neglected for the past 40 years, despite being close to the State capital.
Chandrakant Kunkolienkar, a panch member of the Chimbel Village Panchayat, says that people are not opposing the IT Park but they are demanding the basic amenities which citizens should have.
“There is neither a health centre, nor a market, or a recreation ground in the village. In this circumstances people will definitely hesitate if such a big developmental project is coming,” Kunkolienkar said.
He said that the locals are demanding for a proper market. At present the vendors are sitting on the road side in the village. Even the fisher folks sell their fish by sitting by the side of the road, he added.
“The list of the demands is big. The villagers want a market complex, a police outpost, a health centre, a recreation ground and a community hall in the village,” said another local Rajesh Borkar.
He said that there is majority of ST and SC community in Chimbel village. Claiming that the land sanctioned to the IT Park is very huge, they say that a portion of the land allotted to the IT Park could be given to them for cultivation of crops to make their living.
Ramesh Kandolkar, a local, says that people are also demanding for jobs but he feels that the priority should be given for the development of the village by the villagers.
“Nobody is against the IT Park in our village, we want it to happen. But at the same time the government should also look what the villagers want,” Kandolkar said.
This is the first time in the history of the village any developmental project is being proposed and we should welcome it, he said.
A local activist Arturo D’Souza said that the government should study the resources part first and make the availability of that and then move forward for such a huge project.
“People of Chimbel are already facing the problem of acute water shortage and proper sanitation. These two main amenities should first be provided to the people,” D’Souza said.
