PONDA: In an escalation of their long-standing grievances, the Selaulim evacuees convened a highly charged meeting today at the Hindu Crematorium in Wadem Colony. Their collective patience has run thin, as they issued a stern ultimatum to the BJP government: address our demands immediately or face a massive agitation at Azad Maidan in Panjim.
The urgent meeting was provoked by a controversial move by the Water Resources Department (WRD) to transfer vacant land at the Wadem Rehabilitated Colonies to the Forest Department—without any consultation with the evacuees who have already suffered for decades.
WRD Minister Subhash Shirodkar had made promises during his Independence Day speech at the Selaulim Dam last August, assuring that all the evacuees’ demands would be met within a year. With barely 25 days left for that promise to be fulfilled, the evacuees have seen no progress. Instead, they face the insult of seeing their land handed over to another government department.
Former Sarpanch Kushta Gaonkar, alongside panchayat member Sahil Velip and other leaders, lambasted the government for its empty promises. They unanimously resolved not to allow the Forest Department to set foot on the vacant lands. The Forest Department’s recent actions, including the placement of boundary stones, have ignited widespread anger and unrest among the evacuees.
Gaonkar pointed out that around 89 families are still waiting for the housing and residential plots they were promised in return for their sacrifices for the Selaulim Dam’s construction.
The evacuees’ plight extends beyond these 89 families. Many are waiting for alternate agricultural plots after their initially allocated land was submerged due to the dam’s height increase. Furthermore, over three-fourths of the evacuees are still waiting for the Class I status of the plots allocated to them during displacement.
Former Revenue Minister Jennifer Monserrate had assured the evacuees that the Class I status issue would be resolved within 15 days. Yet, over three years later, this promise remains unfulfilled, casting doubt on the government’s commitment to resolving their issues.
At Sunday’s meeting, the evacuees expressed their frustration and anger, threatening a large-scale agitation at Azad Maidan in Panjim if the government continues to ignore their demands. They called on Opposition MLAs to bring up their plight in the ongoing Assembly session to force the government to remember and act on its promises.
