Says State is using an iron hand in acquiring land
TEAM HERALD
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PANJIM: The Mopa Vimantal Pidit Xetkari Samiti on Monday flayed the Goa government for acting in contempt of High Court orders by not hearing the grievances of the farmers affected during its land acquisition process and allegedly taking over 22 lakh square kilometres of land for the Mopa airport in an illegal manner.
Association Secretary, Sandeep Kambli, on Monday drew media attention to the land acquisition for the airport with the invocation of section 6 of the Land Acquisition Act by bypassing section 5-A, which requires that affected farmers should be heard before invoking section 6 and 7.
Kambli said: “The high court had directed the government to re-conduct the land acquisition process in May last year by hearing the farmers’ objections and suggestions only after which section 6 and 7 could be invoked.”
He alleged that no such process was followed and that the government has not only hoodwinked the farmers but the high court as well and notified the land acquisition process under Section 6.
“We have applied under RTI for documentation on what kind of a report has been submitted as far as the court directives are concerned and will not hesitate to move the High Court with a contempt case against the government.”
The land acquired is in the villages of Warkhand-Nagzar, Kasarvarne, Chandel, Nanachepani and Shemecheadvan, altogether measuring 22 lakh square kilometres. He also said that if required, the association will begin its agitations on the issue.
Kambli on Monday openly challenged Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar to prove how two airports could co-exist when feasibility reports clearly indicate that two airports cannot function within a radius of 150 kilometres of each other.
The Mopa Vimantal Pidit Xetkari Samiti strongly condemned the BJP government for fooling the farmers of Pernem taluka, under the guise of development, through an international airport at Mopa.
Kambli said that while on one side there isn’t yet clarity on the fate of the Mopa airport, land was being acquired through unfair and unjust means. He said, “We know that Mopa airport is just a farce and is not going to help Goa. The main objective is to grab land for hotels and real estate and to divest farmers of rich cultivable land.”
He said that promises are being made to pay the farmers adequately for the loss and to provide jobs, “But it is a known fact that these promises will not be kept and will end up like the Tillari project in Maharashtra where farmers languished in hope for what was promised and never given (what is promised) even till today.”
Kambli said that the farmers voted for the BJP in Goa so that after it came to power it would do some justice. He however along with association members regretted that the government has failed to do justice and has instead allegedly acted with an iron hand in acquiring land for the Mopa airport.
