MARGAO
The Goa Forward chief Vijai Sardesai has extended his full cooperation to the government to identify land for the relocation of the KTC bus stand during the seven-day Viksit Bharat programme at the Margao KTC bus stand in his constituency.
However, Sardesai is believed to have shot down a proposal mooted by political opponents, Cong-turned-BJP Margao MLA Digambar Kamat and former MLA Damu Naik, to explore the possibility of utilizing the GSUDA-acquired fields admeasuring 1.37 lakh square metres for the bus stand relocation.
It’s an open secret that the Goa Forward chief, who represents the Fatorda constituency, had taken up the issue of farmers of Madel continuing agriculture on the acquired lands after their fields were forcibly acquired by the GSUDA around two decades ago.
According to sources, when the Digambar-Damu duo suggested to Chief Minister Pramod Sawant that the Madel fields could be explored for the relocation of the makeshift KTC bus stand for seven days, Sawant conveyed that he did not want to antagonize the Fatorda MLA and the farmers during the PM’s rally.
Sardesai told the media that he is opposed to any activity on the GSUDA-acquired fields at Madel, acquired for a controversial truck terminus, since there is no proper access to the fields and that the farmers are vehemently opposed to the development of the land for any purpose other than farming.
