MARGAO
Will these farmers receive back the fields of their ancestors forcibly acquired by the government around two decades ago, is a question that has come back to haunt the beleaguered farmers once again.
For, neither the government has returned back the acquired fields to the farmers, nor has the SGPDA has reverted the zone of the fields back to agriculture. They, however, pin their hopes on the PDA to denotify the acquisition and return back the fields back to the farmers.
These paddy fields were acquired by the Goa State Urban Development Agency (GSUDA) around 2003-04 to set up a transportation centre. Neither the transportation centre nor any other project proposed on the acquired fields have seen light of the day with farmers along with people took to the streets every time the government came up with the project.
The beleaguered farmers, however are well aware that the swords of Damocles continue to hang over their heads though they have been allowed to cultivate the acquired fields.
For, GSUDA had secured the fields around two years ago barbed wire fencing, indicating that the government is very much keen in development the fields with projects.
Farmer Claudius Dias along with other farmers, however, have not stopped making fervent pleas to the successive governments to spare these fields from being converted into a concrete jungle. Instead, they have been knocking the doors of all and sundry with a plea to return back the acquired fields back to the farmers. In fact, when the South Goa Planning and Development Authority (SGPDA) opened the Outline Development Plan (ODP) for Margao earlier this year, these farmers lodged their objections to the change in zone of their agricultural fields to commercial zone.
“After we had lodged out objections, PDA officials had come to inspect the fields. We were also called for the meeting wherein we have reiterated our one point demand to revert the zone of the fields back to agriculture and to return back the fields to the farmers”, Claudius said.
The farmers are pinning their hopes on Margao MLA Digambar Kamat to take up cudgels for them before the SGPDA. “Kamat had helped the farmers when there were plans to dump garbage on the fields two years ago. Since he is now part of the ruling government, we hope he would take up our issue with the government to denotify the acquired fields”, Claudius added.
