MARGAO
A group of residents of Benaulim once again lodged their protest against the demarcation of Provedoria land for the proposed health centre, terming it as illegal and demanding Provedoria to show the land-ownership documents.
While clarifying that the residents are not opposed to the proposed health centre, the residents suggested it can come up on the sprawling land admeasuring 45,000 square meters owned by the fisheries department or at Mondear on a government property.
The Colva police mobilized force in strength to ensure that the demarcation process went on without any problem.
Local residents, who assembled near the site, protested against the demarcation process, wondering how it can take place without Provedoria officials producing the property documents.
“If the Provedoria officials cannot ownership documents, this demarcation is illegal and has no meaning. The government is
hell-bent on pushing the project,” said Santan Pereira.
Santan suggested the government can shift the project from the present location to the vacant fisheries department land admeasuring 45,000 square meters.
“The residents want to make it very clear that they are not against the centre per se, but are objecting to the location of the project. Let the health centre come up in the village, but at the fisheries complex site or at Mondear where an unutilized structure is lying on government land,” he added.
He further said the villagers are even willing to help the MLA identify suitable land for the proposed health centre, while pleading for scuttling the project at the current site to save the environment.
Another resident Cajie Pereira disputed the claim made by local MLA Churchill Alemao that residents have encroached on the government land. “This is not correct. The MLA should not make any baseless claims. If his claim turns out to be wrong, he should resign as MLA,” Cajie said.
He also reiterated the land in question is a water-catchment low-lying area and demanded shifting of the location of the health centre.
