-- Samir Umarye
BICHOLIM: About 50 people from Sal-Bicholim, who were earlier moved from Tillari during the construction of the Tillari irrigation project, on Monday went on an indefinite hunger strike in protest against the government’s failure to fulfil their demands. “Indefinite hunger strike is the last resort that we are forced to carry out, as the State government has not yet done anything to fulfil our basic demands including a connecting road to the nearby village,” said Devidas Naik from the village. In 2002, about 150 families were shifted from Tillari-Maharashtra to Sal and 204 plots were reserved for them. As per the agreement, the Maharashtra government was given land in Sal to develop and provide all amenities to the displaced residents, before handing it over to the Goa government. “Dodamarg-Maharashtra is close to the plots allotted to us, but we still don’t have a proper connecting road to Dodamarg. If this arrangement was made, everything including a hospital, market and school would have been close to us,” Ramesh Patil, secretary of Tillari Dam Gram Vikas Committee, said. “We are now part of Goa and have voting rights, but if we demand any facilities with authorities, they bluntly tell us to forward our demands to the Maharashtra government,” said Patil. The residents complain that inspite of all their sacrifice the government is not doing anything to help them. “The panchayat is not giving us house numbers without approval from the Town and Country Planning department, while the Irrigation department is not providing us with the I&IV Form with our names, which has created all the problems,” added Patil. After the hunger strike on Monday, the irrigation officials visited the site and tried to pacify the villagers. Meanwhile, a special meeting has been called to discuss the issue in the Bicholim BDO’s office on Tuesday. It may be recalled that the displaced families had staged a three-day hunger strike in 2010 to get their houses registered with Sal Panchayat and about 87 houses were given house numbers. The agitators have warned that if their demands are not met, they will continue with their hunger strike.
