Govt to acquire land for Davorlim project
HERALD REPORTER
MARGAO, JUNE 19
Ignoring stiff opposition from the villagers, the Digambar Kamat-led government has decided to go ahead with the acquisition of land admeasuring 1,15,200 square meters in Davorlim for the development of multipurpose utility project in the village.
Apparently rejecting all protests against the project by the villagers, the government on Saturday published Section 6 of the Land Acquisition Act for the acquisition of the land in question.
Following the development, agitated villagers are weighing all options before them, including intensifying their agitation against the project. Ex-Sarpanch Sandeep Verlekar lamented that the government has gone ahead with the project despite opposition to the project. “The villagers are meeting soon to chalk out the future course of action. The villagers are firmly opposed to any land acquisition either for the multipurpose utility project or for a kabrastan”, he asserted.
The government decision assumes significance and comes against the backdrop of the host of resolutions adopted by the Davorlim Village Panchayat against the project. In fact, the multipurpose project and the kabrastan had been figuring at almost every gram sabha of the village, with agitated villagers opposing the project every time.
The multipurpose utility project has been proposed by the district collector, South to cater to the needs of all the inter-linked as well as independent projects for the overall development of the society, wherein the needs of the individuals from educational, social and cultural aspects.
Initially, the district collector had proposed to acquire land admeasuring 1.20 lakh square metres, but the area has now been reduced by around five thousand square metres.
Davorlim villagers, however, has been opposing the land acquisition on grounds that the land in question had been reserved all along for the original inhabitants of the village for the purpose of housing.
The locals have been questioning the logic of setting up the multipurpose utility project when the original population in Davorlim village have no adequate land for housing.
The locals have also suspected that a portion of the land, once acquired, will be used for the kabrastan – which has so far met strong opposition from the villagers.
