John Fernandes, QuepemThe Tenants of Avedem Paroda who are cultivating paddy field which adjacent to the Immaculate Conception Church Paroda are gearing up to oppose land acquisition proposed by the Paroda Panchayat for the construction of Panchayat Ghar cum Market complex. The Village panchayat of paroda through the Dy-Collector of Salcete proposed to acquire an area of 8295 sq.mts of survey No.109 of Paroda village, for the construction of panchayat Ghar cum market complex which area admittedly get flooded every year during monsoon season . In the objection filed before the land Acquisition officer the tenants claims that they are from Schedule Tribe community, and being Tribals who are voiceless and powerless, intentionally their fertile paddy field which is cultivated during vigon season is proposed for acquisition, even though there is barren land towards in that area . That by acquiring the Tribal land the government involved in committing atrocities against the tribals. They claim that that this is the move of the government to displace the tribals of their land, of their livelihood which trend is going on in other part of Goa on the garb of public purpose and development states the complaint further. The objection further states that the proposed land is the only paddy field/land which they are having and is the only source of their livelihood, acquiring their only land/life support system mean denying them their right to life, guaranteed by the constitution of India. The proposed land is a paddy filed/agricultural land comes within the jurisdiction of COMAND AREA of Paroda Irrigation canal. Such a fertile cultivable land cannot be acquired for the construction of Panchayat Ghar cum Market complex when there are alternate barren land are available in the nearby area and within the jurisdiction of V.P. Paroda. If the department goes on acquiring vast areas of fertile agriculture land like the present one then in the future we may face food crises states the objection further . The objection further states that the proposed acquisition is against section 2 of Goa Land Use Regulation Act 1991 which states that “ 2. “No land which is vested in a tenant under the provision of the Goa Daman and Diu Agricultural Tenancy Act 1964 ( Act 7 of 1964) shall be used or allowed to be used for any purpose other than agriculture” more so as there is alternate barren uncultivable land is available in V.P.Paroda. The proposed land is a low lying area, which get flooded/submerged under water of a height of around 2 to 3 mts during rainy season. If such a low lying flooding area is acquired and filled with mud to make way for the proposed project then it will have adverse impact on the surrounding areas and the ecology. We undertakes to produce evidence to that effect at a later stage. They further contented that why such a huge area of 8295 sq.mts is required for the construction of a Panchayat Ghar when well equipped panchayat Ghar can be constructed over an area of around 300 mts. They further stated that there is no need of a Market complex for Paroda Panchayat, when the Avedem panchayat market complex is just at a distance of 500 mts from the proposed land and major portion of the said complex remain idle due to lack of vendors. The Quepem Market which is the main center for commercial activity for the villagers of Paroda and surrounding area is hardly at a distance of around 2 kms from the proposed area. They requested the Dy-Collector to drop the land acquisition proceedings.
