TEAM HERALD
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MARGAO: As suspense continues over the fate of former PWD Minister Churchill Alemao’s proposal to acquire 2.72 lakh sq mts of land for the expansion of Margao sewage plant, land acquisition officials have knocked the doors of the government for guidance on how to go about the proceedings.
The government had on December 10 kept on abeyance the disbursement of cheque payments for the land losers without citing any concrete reason. It was only later that realization dawned by the land acquisition officials that the decision was taken against the backdrop of the petition made by the aggrieved farmers and Fisheries Minister, Avertano Furtado to Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar to scrap the land acquisition proposal.
Officials in the know disclosed that the land acquisition office had declared the land acquisition award and now disbursement of payments to the affected land losers would be done. “We have approached the government to guide us how to go about the land acquisition proceedings. The matter has been in abeyance since December 10, since the day disbursement of cheques was stalled following instructions from higher-ups,” remarked an official.
The aggrieved farmers under the banner of Salpem Tollem Xetkarancho Ekvott, Navelim had been waging a sustained battle for de-notification of the land in question. While the former Navelim MLA and PWD Minister, Churchill Alemao, bulldozed his way by acquiring the land for the avowed purpose of sewerage plant expansion and buffer zone, the farmers have received support from the present MLA and Fisheries Minister, Avertano Furtado.
In fact, the turn in events vis-à-vis the land acquisition took place after the Fisheries Minister led the farmers and Navelim citizens to the Chief Minister to scrap the land acquisition proceedings. Says Avertano Furtado: “We have gone through the consultant’s report, which shows that the government does not need 2.72 lakh sq mts of land for the sewage plant expansion. We have been told by the consultant that the sewage plant can be expanded within the existing acquired land,” Avertano said.
