MARGAO
Residents of Sao Jose de Areal are bracing for yet another battle “ to stop the change of use of agricultural land admeasuring 63,000 square metres for a group housing project comprising 83 plots, besides a commercial/community centre.
Having adopted a resolution at the gram sabha meeting around nine years ago to acquire the land in question for a multipurpose sports and cultural activities centre, the villagers pointed out that the housing project threatens the very existence of the village.
Around 1,535 residents, who form one-tenth of the village population, have submitted in writing to the village panchayat and the sarpanch demanding an extra-ordinary gram sabha on September 26 to discuss the issue. In the struggle to retain the village identity, the residents have received support from local organizations such as Sao Jose De Areal Villagers Union and Scheduled Tribe Association, Sao Jose De Areal.
Says Tenny Paul Fernandes: “The residents of Sao Jose De Areal village strongly condemn the proposal to change the use of the prime agricultural land of the village for real estate. This is unacceptable to the local populace when the project envisages around 83 plots, besides a commercial centre”.
He added: “The villagers have observed that the land on which the project is proposed was approved to be acquired for the construction of multipurpose sports and cultural activities centre and open, indoor and outdoor stadium and academy for the village, which does not have even a single football ground or sports facility presently. The panchayat and the TCP department had granted all approvals for this proposal between 2012 and 2014, which is eagerly awaited by the villagers”.
Tenny, however, said that construction of sheds and compound wall have come up on the land about a month ago, with no prior information being made available to the villagers. “After collecting information under the RTI Act, the villagers were shocked to see that permission was granted by the TCP and the Panchayat for construction of a compound wall and sub-division of the land (but not for the sheds), in clear violation of their earlier approvals and resolutions.”
Another resident Joycee Fernandes said the villagers had immediately written to the panchayat pointing out that the sheds were constructed illegally and without permission and that the permission granted for the wall and sub-division of land should be revoked, but in vain.
“Villagers are of the strong opinion that such permission cannot be granted in a village which is already devastated by massive illegal basalt mines and numerous crushers on the Communidade lands, industrial estates on tribal and other village lands, scrap yards, Konkan Railway and South Western Railway lines and illegal sub-division of lands on a massive scale,” she said.
She added: “The residents have been left bystanders as the village has been systematically destroyed for profits of a few. However, the villagers are now determined to restore the sustainable, self-reliant, self-governing village of their ancestors and children to come, which is the only way forward in the face of climate crisis induced threat of extinction of life on this planet. The proposed sub-division of land and construction on the land in question for short term gains is opposed not only for public interest, but also for saving the entire world and humanity from greed”.
