Say they were not taken into confidence by GSUDA, acquisition authorities
MARGAO
Will these beleaguered farmers from Rawanfond get justice after toiling hard over the years in the land of their ancestors which has now been zoned as commercial in the Outline Development Plan (ODP) for Margao after acquisition by the Goa State Urban Development Agency (GSUDA) around a decade and a half ago?
The farmers seemed to keep their fingers crossed as an official of the South Goa Planning and Development Authority (SGPDA) conducted an inspection of the fields, located opposite the Margao railway station, only to find the lush green cultivated fields and ready for a bumper harvest.
The PDA inspected the fields after the beleaguered farmers filed their objections to the change in the zone of their ancestors from agriculture to commercial. When the Margao ODP was opened for fresh suggestions and objections when the plan 2031 was opened by the SGDPA in December last, the farmers had decided to lodge their objections to the change in the zone of the fields and demand that the PDA revert the zone to agriculture.
After the inspection, PDA official Paul Gomes made it plain clear to the farmers that he would submit his report to the PDA sub-committee, constituted to go into the suggestions and objections to the Margao ODP.
The farmers drew the attention of the PDA official that they were not taken into confidence by the Goa State Urban Development Agency (GSUDA) and the land acquisition authorities at the time of acquisition of the land in question. The PDA official, however, maintained that he would only convey their sentiments as well as the ground reality that the fields are under cultivation by the farmers, apparently conveying a message loud and clear that the farmers are no longer the owners of the land, but GSUDA after the acquisition.
Farmer Claudius Dias told The Goan that the farmers have made a fervent plea to the PDA official to get the zone reverted to agriculture. “The government had first acquired the land of our ancestors without our knowledge and has now converted the land into commercial. We want these fields to be maintained in a green zone forever so that the farmers can grow multiple crops on the land,” he said.
He added: “At a time when the government is talking of bringing farmers back to agriculture, the government should not destroy these fields. If the government has any project in mind, they can have it on barren land at an alternate site, and spare these fields for cultivation.”
Making a fervent plea to the government to drop any commercial project from coming up on the acquired fields, Claudius said these fields offer employment and livelihood to the farmers growing multiple crops.
“Let these fields be notified as a green zone so that farmers can cultivate them and no concrete project comes on the land,” he added.
