land acquisition for garbage plant receives flak
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12/05/2008
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Herald (Panjim)
Cutting across party lines, Sanguem residents on Friday joined hands to strongly oppose the acquisition of large tracts of fertile land in Uguem for the proposed garbage treatment plant of Curchorem Cacora Municipal Council (CCMC). Criticizing the notification for land acquisition process issued by Under Secretary Revenue Department D M Redkar for acquiring the land, Sanguem MLA Vassudev Meng Gaonkar argued that the land acquisition procedure was arbitrary and had no basis. Mr Gaonkar along with citizens from Sanguem visited the proposed site, only to learn that that the proposed land for garbage disposal is fertile land cultivated by locals under the Command Area Development Programme. "The report submitted by officials, who claimed that the land could be used for garbage disposal/land filling holds no water, as the land in question is under paddy cultivation,' said Mr Gaonkar. He also criticised the CCMC for attempting to use land in Uguem for dumping its garbage. While strongly opposing the acquisition procedure, Mr Gaonkar warned that residents of Sanguem taluka would launch an agitation to get the land acquisition process scrapped. Prof Minguel Mascarenhas claimed that the Quepem Deputy Collector's office had prepared a report without a site inspection. "The Deputy Collector solely went through the computerized survey records, where it is erroneously shown that the area is orchard land. The deputy collector should have conducted a site inspection before submitting the report,' said Prof. Mascarenhas. Added Deepak Marathe: "Several acres of land in Curchorem and Cacora are utilized for dumping of iron ore. Why can't this land be used for garbage dumping.' Uguem Sarpanch Madhavi Shiddikar and Deputy Sarpanch Anil T Zangale also criticized the government acquiring the land, despite strong objections at the recent Gram Sabha. Others who gathered at the site to oppose the project included Vineet Kakodkar, Santano Mascarenhas, Sanguem Congress Block President Josinho D'costa and Uguem panchas.