TEAM HERALD
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MARGAO: Farmers were displaced from their fields, land owners dispossessed of their ancestral land, while in some cases, the government just bulldozed its way to acquire land under the guise of public purpose.
Despite stiff opposition, over four lakh sq mts of land was acquired by successive governments at throw away prices from farmers and land owners in Salcete over the last one decade. The avowed public objective of half-a-dozen land acquisitions was simple: A housing board colony in Cuncolim, truck terminus in Madel, multi-purpose utility projects in Davorlim, parking lots in Margao et al.
Sadly, none of these projects have taken shape till date with the acquired land lying idle and the government unwilling to return the land back to the farmers citing legal grounds. Incidentally, most of the land acquisitions were initiated and completed during the previous BJP regime which ruled the state over a decade ago.
Take the case of the 1.35 lakh sq mts of land acquired for the truck terminus at Madel. The then government literally bulldozed its way with the acquisition of land despite stiff opposition from the land owners. So much so, the then land acquisition officer completed the proceedings in a tearing hurry at the dictates of his political masters. The land is still lying idle till date after the Congress government scrapped the truck terminus project, but not before converting it into a commercial zone in the commercial town’s ODP.
Similarly, land acquired for the non-conventional energy park, a service centre near the KTC bus stand, besides land acquired for parking purpose remains idle in and around the Old Market area.
Says activist Savio Dias: “The government seems to have no concrete planning when it set out to acquire the land by displacing farmers and land owners. The truck terminus was originally planned opposite Margao Railway Station, but was later earmarked at Madel. Now the government is toying with the idea of shifting the Margao bus stand on the acquired land.”
The land acquired for the multi-utility purpose project at Davorlim is another case in point. The Digambar Kamat-led government had literally bulldozed its way with the land acquisition by overruling the opposition from Davorlim villagers. More than a year has lapsed since the government took possession of the controversial land. Villagers had demanded utilisation of the land for the benefit of locals.
In Cuncolim, the Goa Housing Board had acquired the prime land admeasuring 1.26 lakh sq mts at Panzorconne to set up a housing colony. The plan, however, was shelved following outcry from local residents. Attempts to set up a football academy also met the same fate
Says social activist, Sidharth Karapurkar: “It is clear that government had acquired the land without any planning or purpose. I am of the strong opinion that since farmers and land losers want their land back, it should be handed over to them.”
