MARGAO
Director General of Police, Mukesh Kumar Meena on Friday steered himself clear over the agitation being planned by the Curtorim villagers against the proposal to set up the Indian Reserve Battalion (IRB) camp at the Leprosy hospital land at Curtorim.
When The Goan questioned the DGP to shed light on the controversy over the government’s plan to set up the IRB camp at Curtorim, he declined to offer any comment, saying he has come to take a look at the Sonsodo land, which was acquired by the Police Department to set up the Maina-Curtorim police station.
When he was repeatedly questioned to comment on the agitation planned by the Curtorim villagers against the IRB camp on the Leprosy hospital land, the DGP evaded the question by saying that further details can be obtained by the media from the South Goa police.
Curtorim villagers have decided to hold a public meeting on Sunday against the government’s decision to bulldoze with the IRB camp at the Leprosy hospital land in the village when the panchayat and the local populace have been demanding that the land be left for utility projects beneficial for the village.
Thursday had seen local residents led by the village Sarpanch Milagres Rodrigues, Deputy Sarpanch Simon Barretto, panchayat members, former ZP member Moreno Rebello and local MLA Reginaldo Lourenco stopping the land demarcation work at the hospital land, forcing the officials to stop the work and leave the site.
In the past, the Curtorim panchayat and the gram sabha had vehemently objected to the plans to set up the IRB camp on the Leprosy hospital land, demanding that the land be reserved for the benefit of the local populace.
The Sunday public meeting is not only expected to reiterate the objection to the IRB camp in the village, but chalk out the future course of agitation against the government decision.
