02 Sep 2022  |   05:46am IST

Farmers opposing IIT project refute Sanguem MLA’s statement of there being no plantations at site

Say plantations exist since ages at proposed IIT project site at Cotarli; accuse Sanguem MLA Subhash Phal Dessai of telling ‘blatant lies’ just to force the project on people

Team Herald 

SANGUEM: Refuting Sanguem MLA Subhash Phal Dessai’s statement that there are no plantations at the proposed IIT project site at Cotarli, farmers on Thursday claimed that there are cashew and coconut plantations at the site which have been in existence for decades.

It is pertinent to note that Phal Dessai had opined that there exist no farms and other agricultural plantations in the property proposed to be allotted for setting up the IIT. The proposed land which admeasures 750000 sq mtrs is totally owned by the government and there are no agricultural plantations in the said property, he had said.

Reacting to the MLA’s allegations, Melisha, a farmer said her ancestral plantation has fully grown trees which are all yielding and have been enjoyed at least by three generations. Similar is the case with other plantations in existence in the locality, Melisha said.

Expressing surprise over Phal Dessai’s allegations that there are no plantations within the proposed site, Melisha accused the MLA of telling blatant lies just to force the project on the people at Cotarli.

Recently Phal Dessai had alleged that the farmers are involved in selling government land to outsiders and that the revenue authorities had to demolish three houses on government land at Cotarli which is proposed for IIT.