SATURDAY, APRIL 20, 2024
Team Herald
SANGUEM: With the Sociedade issue burning high in Uguem village, the villagers who are at crossroads and who will be the ultimate sufferers of the ongoing legal battle between the government and Sociedade Patriotica Dos Baldios Das Novas Conquistas Uguem, held a marathon closed-door meeting in the village on Sunday.
The meeting held at Funtemoll Ward of Uguem was reportedly attended by over 250 villagers but the discussions held at the meeting are kept total secret as the villagers reportedly need some time to arrive at a final conclusion in the matter.
While the press was not allowed to cover the meeting, the organisers had kept the locals on guard not to permit anyone to take photographs at the meeting.
Sources informed that the villagers did not want certain information that was discussed at the meeting to be made public as of now as the villagers have planned to settle the issue tactfully.
While little fears are expressed as far as the Mundkarial rights of the villagers are concerned, the villagers holding tenancy rights and those who had purchased small plots of land are totally in a topsy-turvy situation in the event of any adverse orders being passed by the High Court, the persons holding tenancy rights will be the major sufferers as they could lose their tenancy rights and will be termed as trespassers of government property.
The sleepy Uguem village had lived a peaceful existence since decades but the sudden act of government has disturbed the villagers’ peace. Some villagers who had purchased plots in recent times are disturbed following the sudden moves.
A villager who attended the meeting claimed that the discussion at the meeting by and large was peaceful.
He informed that the villagers would fight the present issue in unison and will not give up come what may.
It may be recalled that the land rights issue between the government and the Sociedade which began late last year was all the more compounded when Sanguem Mamlatdar filed a complaint against Sociedade before the Special Investigation Team (SIT) complaining of mass sale of government property by its members.
The issue became more serious after the SIT issued notices to the villagers to appear before the designated officer and give their statement and also produce documents of plots purchased by them from Sociedade.
The villagers are likely to take their final decision in the matter within next two days as the issue remains highly critical and of primary importance to Uguem villagers.
