the goan I network
MARGAO
The Margao Municipal Council (MMC) went ahead with the barricading of the GSUDA land opposite the Margao railway station under police protection as the farmers continued their protests for the third day on Thursday.
The farmers and local residents have now called for a meeting at the site on Friday to intensify their agitation in the event the MMC and the government does not drop the paddy fields to store the RDF waste, even as sources informed that attempts were being made at the civic body and at the government level to resolve the
issue amicably.
While the MMC bulldozed its way on the GSUDA land by overlooking the sentiments of the farmers, questions are being raised in the corridors of the civic body building why it has not considered the land admeasuring 4,000 sq mts adjoining Sonsodo, which was identified by Fatorda MLA
Vijai Sardesai and MMC Vice-Chairperson Tito Cardozo for the purpose.
The MMC went ahead with the barricading work under police protection, even as representatives of the farmers along with former MMC chief Savio Coutinho called on the district Collector to prove its claim that the land in question has not been acquired by GSUDA when the district court in 2015 had termed the acquisition as lapsed.
Incidentally, MMC Chief Officer Ajit Panchwadkar has said the land opposite the Margao railway station has not been dropped as yet, saying the site has been demarcated for the temporary storage of the waste generated through the remediation process.
Meanwhile, MMC Vice-Chairperson Tito Cardozo has said though the land owner was willing to give NOC to the MMC to utilise his land admeasuring 4,000 sq mts, the MMC officials have not evinced interest in the land, saying the officers have preferred the GSUDA land opposite the Margao railway station.
“Since the civic officials showed interest in the GSUDA land opposite the railway station, there was no communication between the civic body and the land owner as a result of which the land adjoining Sonsodo was not tapped till date,” Tito said.
