MAPUSA: Shri Bodgeshwar Xhetkari Sangh on Tuesday alleged that the deletion of names of 1,300 farmers from the Land Use Map and Register was pre-planned by the government.
“The deletion of names from the Land Use Map and Registered was re-planned by the government. Now the access road to the fields is blocked so that the farmers stop cultivating the fields and it remain barren so that the government can take over it,” said Sanjay Barde, president of Shri Bodgeshwar Xhetkari Sangh while speaking during a meeting held at Shetyewaddo, here.
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Barde said, “Recently Mapusa Municipal Council Chairperson Ryan Braganza along with the other councillors held a meeting with around 10 to 15 farmers at Shetyewaddo. I want to bring it to the notice of the Chairperson that these 10 to 15 farmers do not represent all the farmers. The concerned authorities will have to come to the farmers and explain about this issue.”
Commenting on the display of maps at the panchayats, the president said,” Land Use Map and Register were kept open for the objections and suggestions at the municipality but hardly any farmer was aware of it and none of the councillors came to the farmers and informed about this map. The plan also includes parts of other villages including Camurlim, Thivim, Guirim and Parra. But none of these panchayats, the Land Use Map was displayed.
“The authorities have failed to take the farmers into consideration before including other villages in Land Use Map for Mapusa. It’s the farmers who have given their land for the development of Mapusa. However, this government intends to come up with the projects by keeping the farmers under darkness. We condemn this act of the BJP government,” Barde alleged.
“Before the term of the present council ends, we request the chairperson to restore the names of all the farmers on the Land Use Map and Register,” Sangh said.
Speaking on the contract farming, he said, “Only the work Contract Farming has to be removed from the bill. The government was aware well in advance that the contract bill will be passed. However, the government did not raise any concern before the farmers. Also in Goa Congress Party woke up after the issue was raised by our committee. The Congress and BJP is one party.”
