MLA Lobo bulldozes land rights in Arpora

Oversees road widening sans land acquisition

BY A STAFF REPORTER
reporters@gomantaktimes.com

PANAJI: Heavy machinery entering a narrow palm-tree lined street from the main market to the Resort Rio in Arpora, has kicked up a lot of dust - both literally and figuratively. The barely 2.5 metre wide street is being widened to six metres, without land for the expansion having being acquired.
The road-widening, being done by the GSIDC (Goa State Industrial Development Corporation) has the backing of the local MLA Michael Lobo who is personally supervising the work.
With no land having been legally and procedurally acquired to widen the road, Lobo, by his own admission, is set to bulldoze first and acquire later. So far, only notices have been sent to those whose properties lie in the way.
According to Lobo, the road is being widened entirely in the interest of the people who live along the road and with their consent - which is understandable, although consent of the beneficiaries is no excuse to flout the law and deprive others of their land.
Naturally, those who stand to lose their land have raised their voice against Lobo's partisan decision and the high-handedness of the government officials for bulldozing their way, quite literally, through their properties without their consent or legally acquiring their land or paying them for it.
Lobo, along with several panch members and 25 other unidentified labourers now faces criminal charges which include criminal trespass, unlawful assembly, use of force, wrongful confinement and issuing threat to life of the affected persons.
The complaint is being investigated by the Anjuna police.
Typically, the police are yet to register the FIR since it involves the local MLA, allege the affected residents along the road. The police have not even intervened to stop the chopping down of trees due to the presence of Lobo, they further alleged.
The road widening work first began in April this year. When the affected persons realised they would lose their land, they complained to the Election Commission which issued a stop work order since the election code of conduct was in force. With the polls now over, the bulldozers are hastily clearing the street again.
"We have not been given the time to react to the notices. Our consent has been not been obtained. No compensation has been paid," an affected land-owner, who did not wish to be named, told GT.
"This is nothing but high-handedness of the government, the local MLA and the panchayat," another land-owner said. "The action of the government is nothing short of theft of land," he complained.
In one case, a land-owner's tree was felled ten minutes after he got a notice from the village panchayat to cut it down. "Such a notice is completely illegal," he said.
Another affected land owner, Veronica Fernandes, was seen salvaging the stub of an almond tree that had been bulldozed.  through said that she has been left with no option and can hope for no compensation. She has lost more than ten sq. mtrs of her property and is doubtful of getting compensation. "What is it that I can do," Veronica asked..
Several of the affected persons GT spoke to believe that Lobo's extraordinary haste to bulldoze the widening of the road is to facilitate a hotel or a land-based casino to come up at the other end of the road. The current width of the road would come in the way of the getting a construction licence for such a project, if any.
Lobo, expectedly denies the charge. He insists that the road is being widened to put an end to traffic jams. He also admits that land acquisition has not been done but says that "the consent of all the land losers has been taken". He does not explain how.
"We will begin the process of land acquisition now. Section 4 will be issued shortly," Lobo informed GT.