Team Herald
SANGUEM: At a late evening meeting held at Orcotto in Sanguem on Sunday, the farmers agitating the proposed IIT at Cotarli warned the government of taking law into their hands if the project is forced upon the locals despite stiff opposition from farming community.
Citing the central government’s rejection of the Cotarli site, those present at the meeting warned local MLA and Social Welfare Minister Subhash Phal Desai of the repercussions he will have to face in the event of making any further attempts of getting the IIT project at Sanguem. The Central Government has rejected the Cotarli site on the first count claiming that the proposed site is not only inadequate but also a major portion of the area comes under green cover.
Regarding a statement made by Phal Desai of making additional land available for the project by purchasing it from private parties, the farmers reiterated, “Even if any private parties or Comunidade sell its land for setting up the IIT project, the agitation will continue and we will not allow the IIT to come at any cost at Cotarli village.”
The farmers warned that Phal Desai may go to any extent and use the government machinery against them, but they will not withdraw the agitation but rather force the Minister to step back.
Constancio Mascarenhas claimed that the government is unnecessarily harassing the farming community even after the proposed land being rejected by the Central Government. “We are very suspicious as to why Phal Desai only wants the project to come at the pristine farm lands at Cotarli despite vast open lands being located elsewhere in the State,” he stated.
Panchayat member from Molcornem, Frazier D’Costa also expressed that the project is of no benefit for the locals, on the contrary the people will have to suffer. D’Costa claimed that the labour class who comes to work at the IIT project will never go back to their native places and will soon be a burden to the locals. “The very same thing happened at the time of construction of Selaulim Dam,” informed Dcosta.
“The labour class who came for the construction of Selaulim Dam are illegally occupying vast government land at Pajimol, Sanguem and the government is handicapped to evict them from the illegal possession of government lands,” he added.
Joseph Fernandes, Milton Fernandes, Santano Rodrigues, Lucy Pereira, Kiran Malkarnekar and others also expressed their views at the meeting and warned the government and Sanguem MLA of dire consequences if they make any move to go ahead with the project despite the opposition from the farming community.
Meanwhile, at a gram sabha held at Uguem village there were diverse views on setting up of IIT at Cotarli. While some supported the project, others stood firm against the project. However in the show of hands, the majority voted in favour of the project.
The farmers opposing the project however claim that the gram sabha members who are in favour of the project have no say over the pristine farm lands at Cotarli village as it is they who are cultivating the farms and in possession of the same for generations together.
