Plans by the Fisheries Department to acquire land admeasuring 30,000 square meters at the Cutbona fishing jetty has run into troubled waters. Velim villagers have slammed the Department for pushing the land acquisition proposal sans transparency and without preparing a project report, feasibility report and the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) report. What has fuelled deep suspicions amongst the villagers if the contradictory statement made by the Land acquisition officer and the Director of Fisheries over the exact purpose behind acquiring the huge land. Fisheries Director S C Verencar, in his letter to the Panchayat, has claimed the land acquisition is for the purpose of creating additional facilities such as an ice plant, cold storage, net mending shed, auction shed, parking facility, workshop and other related activities at the fishing jetty. On the other hand, Land Acquisition Officer Agnelo Fernandes has stated the land in question will be acquired for a fish meal plant. Says the Convenor of Velim Civic and Consumer Forum, Romana Almeida: