########################################################################## # Goanetters-2004 meet in Goa. Dec 21, Tuesday. 12 noon to 2 pm. # # Clube Vasco, Near Municipal Garden, Panjim. Pass the word around! # ##########################################################################
(see COMMENT below) Verna tense over assault on panch by migrant workers MARGAO, Dec 16. Tensions brewing in Verna after a group of locals and migrants clashed at Cumborta ward on Wednesday night. Locals gathered in large numbers last night after news spread that migrant labourers assaulted local panch Soccoro Braganza, but the timely arrival of Verna police averted a major law and order situation.The police have rounded up three migrant labourers in connection with the last night's assault on the panch and others. "Right now there's no untoward incident reported today. But, we have posted a police party for patrolling in Cumborta ward," disclosed Verna PI Harish Madkaikar. Police are maintaining a vigil in the area even as some locals have agreed to stop renting out accommodation to outsiders.What's more, prominent citizens will undertake an awareness drive asking locals not to rent out accommodation to unwanted and dubious individuals. What sparked off the incident is unclear, but the police say that there was a scuffle between a local and a migrant two days ago. "I had a meeting with Sarpanch Remy Fernandes and the panch this morning and reviewed the situation," PI Madkaikar said. Cumborta ward is located near the Verna Industrial Estate, and it has a sizeable presence of migrant labourers. These labourers, who are employed in the Industrial estate, are putting up in rented rooms let out by locals. On December 10, a meeting was held at the Verna police station, which was attended by the sarpanch and the panchas, besides prominent citizens of the village. The citizens drew attention of the police to the acute sanitation and garbage problem starring at the village due to the presence of the migrant labourers. Says Sarpanch Remy Fernandes: "Information shows that seven to eight labourers are staying in small dingy rooms. There are no toilet facilities, creating problems on sanitation," he maintained. According to him, around 300 migrant labourers are staying in Cumborta, which is nearly close to the size of the ward population. He says the people would be made aware of the dangers involved in leasing out accommodation to outsiders. "Care need to be taken to ensure that unwanted elements do not take advantage of the locals hospitality," he added. Meanwhile, the residents of the area have decided to urge the police to strictly implement the recent notification of the District Magistrate, South mandating on both landlords and tenants to inform the police station while taking or letting out accommodation. COMMENTS ON THE ABOVE NEWS (Memorandum submitted to the Governor of Goa) Months back some residents of the villages located around the Verna Industrial Estate had approached His Excellency the Governor of Goa with a Memorandum which dealt with problems faced by the fellow villages, such as: -mushrooming of illegal structures - digging of borewells -migrants not being registered themselves with the police as required by the law -hills cut indiscriminately for housing 1.Social ramifications With the large influx of migrants, the entire demography of the villages has undergone a sea change, giving rise to social imbalance. The original inhabitants of the villages are now well underway to become minorities in their homeland. Therefore the residents requested to please ensure that instead of bringing in more industries into the acquired land which is still vacant, the Government should instead build housing and infrastructure for the migrant management and labour within the precincts of the Verna Industrial Estate, so that the village do not loose their identity, ethos and character. 2. Health Factories which are in the process of construction have failed to provide their construction workers and other personal with accommodation and toilets. This has resulted in the entire are becoming a public toilet, giving rise to the strong probability of ground water population. Besides, this unhygienic lifestyle has put the villagers at great health risk with no fault of their own. 3. Employment If industry relevant training had been imparted to the local youth before bringing in the industries, then at least the local population would have been derived some modicum of benefit from the Verna Industrial Estate, which has utilized our limited resourced like land, scarce water and fluctuating power to derive benefits, none of which pass on the local population. 4. Water resources Many of the factories in the Verna Industrial Estate have sunk borewells, particularly on the hill belt. In fact, some village wells too, are now being used for commercial purposes. Some factories are even audaciously utilizing the water from borewells for construction, which is totally against the Water Resources Act 2003, with the additional consequence of the Government loosing revenue and the villages suffering depletion of ground water resources. Despite complaints to the Water Resources Department, no action has been taken. 5. Security Recent police ruling demands that any stranger residing in the village is bound to register himself/herself at the nearest police station for reasons of security. This rule has not been implemented. In addition, the influx of single migrants, staying away from their families, has given rise to insecurity among the female population of the village and even prostitution. 6. Twenty point programme The twenty point programme is a classic case where land was acquired from the village of Nagoa, ostensibly to be given to people Below the Poverty Line. Today, the original allottees have sold out to third parties in violation of the rules under which the land was allotted to them. Although the South Goa Collector has been notified he has failed to take any action for the past three years. It has also been observed that the people above the poverty line are now occupying residences in the area. 7. Illegal structures As a result of the migrants invading the villages for accommodation, a large number of illegal cubicles are being built, in full view of the local authorities. In order to accommodate the influx, hills have been cut illegally even by the police, who are supposed to be the custodians of the law for construction of housing. The migrants are also utilizing public amenities like public water, taps, for bathing, and in washing of clothes. Mosquitoes, which were non -existent in the past are now proliferating. The Director of Panchayats and health authorities are urged to put an end to all these illegalities. None of these structures should be regularized or we shall metamorphose in to another Dharavi � Asia's biggest slum. Like it or not, villages in Goa are fast acquiring an urban complexion, shedding their rural beauty. Now is the time to ensure that the authorities display the political will to implement the laws of the land and ensure that development shows an orderly, law abiding and most of all, a people oriented face. Under these circumstances, His Excellency, the Governor of Goa, was requested to kindly intercede in the residents' behalf with the concerned authorities to address these issues. -------------------------------------------------------------------- mail2web - Check your email from the web at http://mail2web.com/ .
