MARGAO: Leader of Opposition Digambar Kamat and Navelim MLA Luizinho Faleiro while extending their support to the agitating farmers of Aquem Baixo on Monday said that the Sonsoddo garbage cannot be dumped on the cultivable fields.
They also demanded stringent action on those responsible for misleading the court to give a patently illegal order.
They said,” The demarcation of the 5,000 sqmts of field area be removed within 48 hours failing which the villagers and farmers will dismantle the barricade put up by Margao Municipal Council.”
Addressing the farmers at the site, Luizinho said, “The High Court order of December 5, 2019 was pronounced because the District Court order dated January 22, 2015 was deliberately not brought to the notice of the High Court.”
“When Goa State Urban Development Agency (GSUDA) is not the owner of the land as per the District Court order of January 2015 they could not claim to be having that land to give to the MMC,” said Luizinho while disclosing that some farmers will be moving an intervention application before the High Court.
“We will join the people in their fight against MMC to misuse their fields and added that they will forcible stop any attempts to dump the Sonsoddo remedial waste on the fields where MMC has already demarcated 5,000 sqmts of land for the purpose,” informed Luizinho and Digambar.
They also demanded stringent action against the person or agency responsible for misleading the High Court by giving the impression that GSUDA is the owner of the land when in reality the Court had quashed the land acquisition process in its order dated January 2015.
“The court had said the land acquisition process was null and void as the tenants were not paid compensation. The authority had not taken possession of the land and many tenants were not even served the land acquisition notices,” said Luizinho.
Digambar pointed out that as chief minister he had stopped the PWD proposal to rehabilitate the people whose houses were demolished for road widening.
“At that time I had said that fields that are being cultivated should not be disturbed and I stand by that opinion,” he said.
He disclosed that he has already discussed the matter with Waste Management Minister Michael Lobo who is out of station and is scheduled to meet him on Tuesday and asked the farmers to give him a representation that he could present to the minister.
