SANGUEM
As many as 427 Selaulim evacuees who have been eagerly awaiting their Class I status of agricultural and housing plots allotted to them five decades ago will finally get their issue resolved in the next few days.
This was stated by Social Welfare Minister and Sanguem MLA Subhash Phal Dessai, while speaking at the inauguration of the lighting at Selaulim Dam with the tri-colour to mark Independence Day.
Phal Dessai informed that the WRD Minister Subhash Shirodkar and his department have worked rigorously over the past few months in the matter.
“The WRD has almost completed the procedural formalities required to grant the Class I status to the Selaulim evacuees who were allotted plots at the time of construction of the Selaulim Dam
During 1975, when the government took over the lands and agricultural plantations from inhabitants in Curdi village for the construction of the Selaulim Dam, 643 families were provided with Sanad for the allocation of 10,000 sq mtrs of agricultural land and another 400 sq mtrs for housing.
The evacuees, however, held these lands as Class II occupants and were assured Class I status after the lapse of 20 years.
However, except for 216 families who completed the formalities and got their names recorded in the survey records as Class I occupants, the remaining 427 families hit a roadblock in getting the Class I status for want of necessary documents.
Since them, the evacuees have been running from pillar to post in getting the issue resolved but to no avail even after the issue had been raised in the Assembly session in the past on many occasions.
In August 2020, then revenue minister Jennifer Monserrate had assured that the long-pending issue of Selaulim Evacuees would be resolved in two months and towards that purpose, had even personally visited the rehabilitation villages.
However, except for a couple of meetings that subsequently followed and camps conducted by the Sanguem Deputy Collector Ajay Gaude to collect the requisite documents from the evacuees, the matter came to a standstill after the transfer of Gaude.
Last month, the evacuees residing at Wadem had threatened to agitate if the government failed to resolve their decades-old demand.
Incidentally, Phal Dessai during his address in the presence of Shirodkar informed that there are some vested interests in the village who are misguiding the people and are planning an agitation only to take credit for the issue.
“The government is already in the process of finalising the benefits of Class I status to the affected families. This will be done in the very near future,” said Phal Dessai.
