FROM GVUK/HERAD GOA
The Govt comes knocking and asks Velsao locals to hand over their land…
...their huts, their heritage their way of life and their peace, for the double
tracking project
KARSTEN
MIRANDA
VELSAO:
Villagers from Mollo, a fishing hamlet in the village of Pale, Velsao, received
a shock when they received a notice from the government that they had to hand
over possession of their lands to the Railways for the double-tracking project.
“This is a
bombshell! It looks like the government does not care about our plight but is
only intent on driving us out from this area which we have called home for
generations. Our ancestors lived here. Where will we go? How will we survive?
We aren’t only losing our houses and our land but also our way of life and our
livelihoods,” said one of the villagers, who felt betrayed by the authorities.
The
villagers, coming from humble backgrounds, have vowed not to give up their land
rights come what may as there is no price for their irreplaceable slice of
life. At a meeting held on Thursday, they decided to attend the meeting on
Friday that they were called for but they won’t surrender their land but
instead file fresh objections.
The issue
arose when a large number of villagers, some of them who stay in hutments, were
informed by the Mormugao Deputy Collector, Bhagwant Karmali, who is also the
Competent Authority (CA), i.e. the Land Acquisition Officer (LAO) for the
Hospet-Hubbali-Tinaighat-Vasco-da-Gama doubling in Goa received a notice.
While the
date of this notice was August 1, many villages got their “future surrender warrants”
barely three days before the deadline. In the Notice, the Deputy Collector
informed the affected villagers that their office had passed an award dated
November 29/11/2022 under Section 20 F of the Railways Act 1989 for the Special
Railway project.
The CA
further added that Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL) that the total compensation
amount (Rs 5,08,65,181) in respect of that award has been deposited by South
Western Railway (SWR) with the EDC Ltd, Panjim; and that the interested parties
or their legal heirs can thereby claim the compensation amount in respect of
the survey numbers notified and acquired upon production of the required
documents.
The Deputy
Collector (Competent Authority) directed those in possession of such land to
surrender or deliver possession within sixty days.
The CA then
directed all the persons interested or entitled in connection with the survey
numbers to remain present in person or by their duly-appointed agent or legal
practitioner on Friday, August 25 at 10 am in the office of the Mamlatdar of
Mormugao to hand over the possession of the land.
RVNL
General Manager has also been asked to remain present along with the required
documents/plans.
The
villagers informed that they received messages that this meeting may take place
at the Ravindra Bhavan office in Baina.
In
order to chalk out their strategy and also to show solidarity with the
villagers, a meeting was convened on Thursday evening by Goencho Ekvott (GE),
Goenche Ramponkarancho Ekvott (GRE) and other allied organisations. GRE General
Secretary Olencio Simoes and Panch Francisco were also present.
How their
past and their future are being taken away
Large
numbers of villagers were informed by the Mormugao Deputy Collector, Bhagwant
Karmali, of the government’s move to take over their land. Though the notices
were dated August 1, many villagers got their “future surrender warrants”
barely three days before the deadline
They were
informed total compensation amount (Rs 5,08,65,181) for their land has been
deposited by South Western Railway (SWR)
The Deputy
Collector (Competent Authority) directed those in possession of such land to
surrender or deliver possession within 60 days
Notice
directed those entitled in connection with the survey numbers to remain present
in person or by their duly-appointed agent or legal practitioner on Friday,
August 25 at 10 am in the office of the Mamlatdar of Mormugao to hand over the
possession of the land
Traditional
communities refuse to be allured by money, will not surrender even an inch of
land
VELSAO: The
assembled villagers conveyed their resentments against the Government of Goa
and criticised the authorities for not even intervening to protect the interest
of the local inhabitants against the consistent threats from RVNL to deny them
the right to reside in their homeland.
Being
mostly from the traditional communities that are largely dependent on the
resources from the Arabian Sea, they felt that their consistent appeals to the
authorities have fallen on deaf ears despite the favourable verdict of the
Supreme Court of India which has deemed the double tracking not viable and has
instead recommended the Krishnapatnam port on the East coast of India for coal
transportation to Karnataka.
During the
meeting, the villagers themselves pledged not to fall prey to the financial
allurements and instead fight through legal means the unjust and ill-conceived
land acquisition process through the office of Deputy Collector Mormugao. They
appealed to the local residents to support them in their just cause.
“What has
troubled the villagers more is that no physical demarcation was done. All that
the Competent Authority is saying with regard to the land acquisition is only
on paper. The villagers have all their documents with them to show which is their
land,” said Orville Dourado Rodrigues, GE founder.
On that
point, locals added that there has been no study done either on how the
villagers will get affected, be it the traditional small houses or the numerous
coconut trees, the tributary of River Sal or a spring on the hills. Places,
where they store and mend their nets and boats, will also be crushed along with
the locality.
“The
Railways wants to acquire the land here but this area falls under CRZ and there
are permissions needed to carry out work here. We have asked the authorities to
show these documents but they have been silent,” Rodrigues added.
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