PARRA: Personnel from the electricity department started the work of erecting poles in order to lay the 33 KVA high tension lines from Thivim to the Nagoa sub-station acting on the directives of the North Goa Collector on Monday morning. The farmers are unhappy with this move and have decided to move the High Court to get their cultivable land back and stay the work.
The farmers opposed the same and tried to object this forceful move seeing a truck carrying several poles brought to be erected in the fields at Parra. Locals were upset that the government is going against their wish and forcefully laying the poles in their cultivable fields. There was a huge police force deputed at the site the entire day to prevent law and order situation.
During the day they erected around four poles in the fields and in the evening they were again stopped by a group of farmers at another spot further in Parra.
The Calangute MLA, Michael Lobo, visited the spot and pleaded with the farmers not to raise any opposition as this was a temporary measure. He assured the farmers that within six months he would put an underground line.
“Let the work continue and I will later remove it. I have told the farmers that it is the need of the hour that this 33 KVA proposed line has to be pulled as the villages of Arpora, Baga, Nagoa, Calangute and Candolim are facing severe electricity problems,” said Lobo.
An angry farmer Casmero De Cunha said that the government is giving all false promises to the farmers. “I beg with the government not to assure us any assistance in farming or provide us with any scheme. You people only talk but do nothing at all. We are cultivating our fields but finally it is being destroyed by you all,” he said.
The former Sarpanch of Parra, Benedict D’souza, said that the electricity department has already laid a 33 KVA high tension lines through the fields without following proper procedures a couple of years ago.
“The people and the farmers of Parra are fighting for their rights and do not want another line to pass through their fields. If they really want to solve the power woes why don’t they carry out underground cabling instead of forcefully trying to erect these poles in our cultivable fields. These power cuts are happening due to the multi dwelling units which are coming up in the name of PDA,” pointed out Benedict.
Another local and owner of a field, Genevive Fernandes said that their fields have been damaged due to this incident.
“It is a very pitiful state that despite opposition from farmers they entered our fields and damaged them. We told them it was recently ploughed. They have damaged our ploughed field and seedlings. They even pushed my aged mother-in-law to the side when she was trying to object their work. I am totally disappointed but hopefully we will get a stay in the high court and get justice in this matter,” said Fernandes.
