Team Herald
PONDA: Condemning the religious organisation for purchasing around one lakh square metres of land in a No Development Zone (NDZ) in the hilly area at Bokadbag-Bandora, the locals belonging to the Scheduled Tribes community have threatened to stage a massive agitation in coming days to protect their land and bagayats.
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Fearing eviction from their residential area, around 500 Bokadbag Bandora locals including women under the banner of “Dahajan Sangarsh Samithi” held public awareness meeting.
The locals said they had filed a complaint under ST Atrocities Act but nothing has happened so far.
The meeting was attended by Samithi Chairman Keshav Gaude, Secretary Shashikant Naik, Raju Bandodkar, former panch Sharmila Lotlikar and Saurab Lotlikar.
The locals voiced their opposition to the members of religious organisation for trespassing and breaking coconut which they (locals) suspect is for laying the foundation for the organisation’s new ashram. The locals claimed that the members of the religious organisation have encroached upon the Scheduled Tribes land for constructing residential ashrams and mutts which would lead to destruction of hills and force their (locals) evictions, who have been residing there since ages.
Locals vowed to prevent the entry of members of religious organisation.
“This land is located in hilly area at Bokadbag. The religious organisation is destroying our village and identity by bringing in outsiders for settling them here. A massive building of this religious organisation already exists with hundreds of people residing in it. Some structures which are being constructed for migrants at ten places will dilute the identity of local STs and OBCs,” the locals feared.
They said, “Despite a case pending with the ST Commission, which had ordered a ban on the sale deed of hill area at Bokadbag, the religious organisation purchased the land in the No Development Zone and converted it.”
The locals said the organisation is purchasing large tracts of land including agricultural fields at more than ten places and ashrams are being constructed.
A massive police force was present to maintain law and order.
Locals informed that a massive public meeting would be held soon to condemn the moves of religious organization whose mission is to grab land of Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Class (OBC) under the pretext of religious and spiritual programmes.
The locals alleged that the organisation has already damaged the hill in Bandora beside sewage is also released into the fields.
