PANJIM: The fields in Taleigao have been damaged due to alleged unauthorised trenching and digging work for the last three days.
The affected local farmers have decided to submit formal letters to the Taleigao Panchayat demanding explanations and accountability for the unauthorised entry and destruction of their fields, and the steps to be taken to rectify the damage caused.
They have appealed to the authorities to immediately stop the unauthorised work, demand full transparency, and ensure that those responsible are held accountable.
Social activist Cecille Rodrigues said that an excavator was seen clearing the fields adjacent to the main road, causing damage to fields, leaving the local farmers worried. The owners of these fields, who had been cultivating the land for years, repeatedly questioned the machine operator about the purpose of the work, the authority behind it, and the identity of the contractor responsible. However, their queries were unanswered.
The farmers then approached Francis Coelho and Nathan D’Souza, local residents from Taleigao, for their assistance. The panicked farmers also tried franticly to contact panchayat members, who declined their phone calls. Only one panchayat member told farmers that the work was merely for cleaning the edges of the fields near the road to prevent issues like snake infestations during monsoon.
However, this explanation failed to justify the extent of the damage. The farmers complained that the excavator was four to five metres deep into the fields, destroying existing crops and plants far beyond what would be necessary for mere roadside cleaning.
Coelho and D’Souza, along with farmers have now decided to submit formal letters to the Taleigao Village Panchayat, demanding explanations and accountability for the unauthorised entry and destruction of their fields, and the steps to be taken to rectify the damage caused.
