Team Herald
Ponda: GKMA, the Goencho Kul Mundakaracho Avaaz (Goa`s Tenants and Mundkars Voice) has condemned the act of the Pernem Police of arresting Pernem Farmers including the convenor of the farmer’s committee and Pernem Deputy Sarpanch Subodh Mahale, who have been fighting against the injustice meted out to the farmers, while acquiring land for Mopa Airport.
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GKMA convener Ramkrisnha Zalmi on Friday alleged that local youth were creating awareness on the plight of the farmers, when an official of a private company started harassing them and removed them from their jobs.
He added that instead of taking action against these officials, they arrested the locals who had filed a complaint against the company officials, an act which he condemned.
Zalmi added that GKMA is supporting the agitations of Pernem Farmers under the banner of Pernem Shetkari Sangarsh Samiti.
He also claimed that a politician from Ponda is paid Rs 3,500 per square metre for acquiring his land and questioned the injustice to Pernem farmers whose lands have been acquired at a throw away price of Rs 40 per square metre. “This injustice will not be tolerated,” he added.
He also asked politicians to stop pressurizing the protesting farmers, who have a democratic right to fight for their rights.
He also explained that the Pernem youth had formed a committee to fight against this injustice under the banner of Mopa Airport Sangarsh Samiti, which had alerted the farmers about their rights.
Zalmi added that although around sixty years have passed since Goa got liberation, the sons of the soil are still struggling to get ownership of the land they have tilling, despite the Tenancy Act passed in 1978.
“Further since the past 12 years, the Pernem farmers are struggling for their rights ever since around 90 lakh square metres of their land acquired for Mopa Airport. Some farmers have been deprived of getting their due compensation due to lack of documents. Some others have lost farms and their houses. So many of them have suffered as they kept their faith on the word of the politicians,” he added.
