MARGAO
The Goa police was mobilised in strength at Davorlim during day two of the demarcation exercise on the land acquired for the proposed education hub on Thursday to avert any law and order problem.
Even as the demarcation exercise passed off peacefully without any problem, local Navelim MLA Ulhas Tuenkar has said he would take up with Chief Minister Pramod Sawant the plea of the villagers of Davorlim to set up a football ground and other infrastructural projects on the acquired land.
Davorlim villagers have been demanding for a long time now that a portion of the acquired land admeasuring 1.15 lakh sq mtrs be reserved for public utility projects to meet the requirements of the villagers. Amongst the projects stressed by the villagers including place for waste management, a football ground, community hall, besides area for the Holy Cross Chapel located atop the hillock.
Villagers have also raised concern whether the village roads will suffice to bear the load of traffic, that would increase manifold, once the Margao city schools are shifted to the proposed education hub.
When The Goan called up the Navelim MLA to shed light on the requirements of the villagers when the Education department has carried out demarcation of the acquired land in question, MLA Tuenkar said he has already discussed with the Chief Minister on the requests made by the villagers.
“In the first Session of the new Assembly, I had taken up the matter regarding the infrastructural requirements of the villagers with the Chief Minister. I will do the follow up so that the needs and requirements of the villagers are also included in the acquired land. The Education department has only demarcated the land in order to secure the acquired land with a compound wall. All other issues will be discussed with the Chief Minister at the earliest,” the MLA said.
A huge posse of policemen drawn from the Margao police sub-division, including the police station of Margao and Cuncolim, besides Maina-Curtorim was mobilised at the acquired land as a precautionary measure fearing protests from the local populace. Margao sub-divisional Police Officer, DySP Shivendu Bhushan also personally descended at the site to take stock of the situation. The demarcation exercise, however, passed off peacefully without any untoward incident.
