MARGAO
In a clear indication that the acquired property will be finally put to use to house an education hub by shifting Margao-based schools, the Education Department on Wednesday carried out a demarcation exercise of the acquired land admeasuring 1.15 lakh square metres at Davorlim.
That Deputy Director, South Education zone, Dr Uday Gaonkar personally descended at the site during the demarcation exercise with police protection indicates that the government is finally preparing the way for the shifting of the city-based schools to Davorlim.
Gaonkar made no bones of the fact that the government had allocated the acquired land to the Education department to set up the project.
“We have started work on demarcation of the boundaries of the land acquired by the government. This land was acquired by the government and handed over to the Education department. Though the land is in possession of the Education department, the boundaries were not marked. This exercise is aimed at demarcating the boundaries,” he said.
The land was acquired by the South Goa district Collector around exactly a decade ago to set up multi-utility public projects when the Digambar Kamat-led government was ruling the State. Nowhere in the land acquisition did the government make a mention that it will be handed over to the education department to set up the hub on the lines of Cujira-Bambolim.
The proposal, however, evoked strong objection from Davorlim locals, who have been demanding that the land is utilized for public utility projects benefitting the village at large.
Instead, they have demanded that the land be utilized to set up a sports ground, spacious Panchayat Ghar and waste management, besides land for the Holy Cross Chapel located atop the hillock, where the villagers celebrate the feast. They argued that the land should be used to set up public utility projects to meet the requirements of the villagers before bringing the city-based schools there.
Concerns have been conveyed to the BJP Navelim MLA Ulhas Tuenkar, with a plea not to rush with the project, but ensure that the requirements of the villagers are first addressed.
