OLD GOA: The land filling at the bandh, to widen the road connecting St Cruz to Taleigao, on Friday, was stopped by farmers, who alleged that they were not taken into confidence either by the St Cruz MLA Atanasio Babush Monserrate or any government authority, before the work began.
Former St Cruz MLA Victoria Fernandes also joined the farmers in stopping the activity as she demanded that the farmers should be first paid adequate compensation before development.
“It was during my tenure that this project was planned at a cost of Rs 9 crore, but then the widening was supposed to be taken up of 1.5 metres only on both sides,” Fernandes informed, while stating that currently the land filling which is being done is more than that.
“The farmers have also been kept in the dark and no compensation was paid to them with several trees being cut without permission,” she further added.
One affected farmer Hanumant Kunkolkar informed that he had asked Monserrate’s personal assistant Agnel Cunha to produce documents if the land filling activity was done with prior permission of concerned authorities.
“But, till date, the farmers did not get any reply,” Kunkolkar said, while citing it as one reasons why the farmers got together and stopped the land filling. The farmers also informed that they will now complain to the TCP department for further action into the matter.
When contacted, Cunha said that the land filling activity is part of the road widening process, which was approved long back during the tenure of the then chief minister Manohar Parrikar.
“This road widening project along with the flyover at St Cruz finds mention in the first budget which was presented by then CM Parrikar,” Cunha stated, while informing that the project file is with the Collector and those who are interested can check it for themselves.
“We have taken permission from concerned farmers before undertaking the land filling activity and the Comunidade of Calapor was also informed about the same,” he added.
Old Goa PI Krishna Sinari and his team was present at the site, to prevent any law and order situation. However, the police did not attach any trucks that were used in the land filling activity as Sinari informed that the police are authorised to attach machinery only on the directives of the TCP authorities.
