Team Herald
PANJIM: The village of Tiracol was on tenterhooks on Thursday as clashes erupted between villagers and bouncers belonging to Leading Hotels that is developing a golf course in over 9 lakh square metres of the village.
According to witnesses, Leading Hotels had attempted to close some part of the land by erecting a barricade but since parts of the area still belonged to villagers who decided not to sell their land, villagers including men, women and children objected.
Villagers said some 50 to 60 bouncers assaulted people, including women. However, the hotel claims they had not reacted to the people’s threats at all. On the contrary, “we did not react to any of the threats and abuses the villagers threw our way,” said head of corporate communications Gerson Rebello.
“This company is out to get us and our land by illegally trespassing on our property. They are trying to use the afternoon time when people rest to start their activities” said local resident and president of the St Anthony’s Mundkar Association Francis Rodrigues.
Police were later called in, following which the bouncers went away. Villagers claim the hotel illegally trespassed into properties marked under survey numbers 3/1, 3/17 and 2/70.
Rebello, however, claims they are the owners of the land and that despite there being a case in the High Court, they had the required permissions to carry out development on the project. “We have all the required permissions and we will continue with the project and developing it,” said Rebello.
Following the presence of the police who were called in by the locals to handle the situation, the bouncers receded.
