Ray of hope for farmers as CM does a rethink MARGAO: There’s finally a ray of hope that farmers cultivating the fields in and around the once picturesque Salpem lake on the Margao-Navelim border will get their land back – more than three years after former PWD Minister Churchill Alemao proposed acquisition of the fields for expansion of the Margao sewerage project. Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar is believed to have veered round the view that the huge chunk of land admeasuring 2.53 lakh sq mts proposed for acquisition is not required for the purpose. The issue was deliberated in detail during Parrikar’s meeting with the Fisheries Minister and senior PWD officials at the district Collectorate, South wherein it was agreed that the huge land was not needed for the avowed purpose. Though the chief minister later told newsmen that nothing has been decided at the meeting, the Navelim MLA told Herald on Sunday that Parrikar has issued instructions to the PWD officials to move a note for the de-notification of the land acquisition proceedings. “It’s only a matter of time before the farmers get back their land since the Chief Minister was convinced that the huge land was not required for the purpose. The PWD Officials have been told to prepare a detailed note to take the matter to its logical conclusion,” Avertano said. During the meeting, the Fisheries Minister insisted that the existing 33,000 sq meters of land presently housing the Sewerage treatment plant is more than adequate to meet the growing requirements. “I have maintained that the existing land can meet the requirements of Margao and Fatorda. If the existing arrangements cannot meet the requirements of Navelim constituency, then Fatorda area could well have its own arrangements in the future”, he added. Farmers cultivating the fields in and around Salpem lake had been waging a sustained battle since the time the PWD proposed acquisition of their fields for expansion of the sewerage project. Herald inquiries with the land acquisition office revealed that the land acquisition office had almost reached the stage of distributing payments to the land owners, before the government moved in to keep the entire proceedings on hold following intervention by the Navelim MLA.