MARGAO: Residents of Loliem village along with members of the comunidade and environmentalists have expressed their anger over the decision of the Entertainment Society of Goa (ESG) to take the Loliem Comunidade land for the setting up of a film city, which they have been vehemently opposing.
ESG has approved the application from Loliem Comunidade and asked its authorization for a 99-year lease of 250 acres of land in Loliem village owned by the Comunidade, giving its in-principle approval to Loliem as the site for the Film City.
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In turn, Loliem Comunidade has called an extraordinary general body meeting of the Components for February 4 to give its approval.
“The proposed Film City project is an attempt to usurp the village common lands of local communities. Bhagwati plateau is not just the most eco-sensitive land hosting all the flora and fauna of the Western Ghats, but is the only life-giving resource that sustains local communities as well as rich biodiversity,” said environmentalist Abhijit Prabhudesai. “The Comunidade Managing Committee is betraying the people and the land and are in a criminal nexus with greedy real estate speculators. However, villagers of Loliem have vowed to defend the land and the future generations and it is certain that people’s Power will triumph once again,” Prabhudesai added. Incidentally, Loliem Comunidade member Om Prabhugaonkar has written to the various authorities requesting them to revoke the alleged unlawful resolutions and correspondence from the Loliem Comunidade regarding the proposal for the Film City.
“The recent development of ESG giving in-principal approval is not legally binding as the Comunidade meeting held on 15/10/2023, based on which this node is given, is in itself totally illegal. I would urge everyone, especially the Comunidade members to come forward and save our land, especially plateaus which are endemic biodiversity hotspots as stated by researchers. Many comunidade members are not happy with this decision” said Prabhugaonkar added.
It may be recalled that the Loliem village gram sabha last year had passed a unanimous resolution to reject the proposal to construct a film city in the village and to reject the proposal to grant lands belonging to the Loliem Comunidade to ESG for the purpose of establishing a Film City, or for any other purpose.
The gram sabha also resolved that the Loliem panchayat would take all steps necessary to conserve the village plateaus.
