BICHOLIM: The Pilgao Comunidade and tenants on Saturday lodged a complaint at the Bicholim Police Station alleging that Vedanta Limited had started transportation of e-auctioned iron ore through their property by damaging agricultural land.
In their complaint, the tenants said, “There exists a property in survey no 66/49, 66/33, 66/39, 66/27, 66/15, 154/42, 154/30 and 154/21 in Pilgao village panchayat and our names along with our ancestors are recorded as tenants in the agricultural land. Anticipating threat to us and our property, we have filed a complaint before your office and requested for police protection as the management of Vedanta Limited started mining transportation through our property thereby damaging our agricultural land and property. We demand to register complaint of criminal trespass against the managing director of Vedanta Limited and protect our interest.”
In his complaint, Masso Parab Gaonkar, president, Comunidade of Piligao, said, “There exists a property in survey number 27/0 and 158/1 in village panchayat Pilgaon which belongs to us. We have already submitted details of the property along with survey plant to your office on April 4 this year. In our previous complaint, we had requested for a thorough inquiry but till date, we have not received any updates on that and now once again the management of Vedanta has demolished our fencing thereby damaging our property. We demand to register a complaint of criminal trespass against the management or director of Vedanta Limited and protect our interests.”
Reacting to the incident, environmentalist Ramesh Gauns said, “It is too much. The matter is in High Court but inspite of that Vedanta Ltd is trying to indulge in mining transportation illegally. It is happening because the system is with it. Vedanta is desperate and it has shown its real face. It has shown its true colours in Odisha and now it is showing it in Bicholim. Vedanta is not different from others who always opt for illegal things. It does not care for the people, nor for the law or the government. However this matter will be taken to National Green Tribunal (NGT) now and shown how they are trying to transport the iron ore illegally."
Adv Ajay Prabhugaonkar, Comunidade member, said, “We were expecting that SOPs and proper guidelines will be framed and Vedanta Ltd would follow them. Had the SOPs been followed, we would not have objected. Though framing of the guidelines looked perfect on the paper but the reality at the ground level is different. There was no proper distance maintained between the trucks. The transportation continued even though it was raining heavily causing inconvenience to all section of society. We have no issue if the company starts mining in a proper manner but not at the cost of students, villagers, people and farmers. Private properties have to be protected but the government is not keen on giving protection to the private land owners. The High Court has clearly mandated to install CCTV cameras but nothing has been followed."
Narendra Prabhugaonkar, attorney of Comunidade of Pilgao said, “They are unofficially trespassing into the private property of Comunidade. Neither the Comunidade nor the tenants have sub-leased the property. Because of the support of the government and the police, they are forcing our people to back out. Earlier, our people used to get jobs but they have been removed. They are spoiling our fields. Farmers are being forced to stop farming as water is being getting contaminated. They tried to mislead the High Court by giving wrong information for which Director of Mines and Geology is responsible."