-- Samir Umarye BICHOLIM: The people from Mulgao under the banner Mulgao Nagrik Kruti Samiti today submitted several demands even as the company partly accepted most of the demands.
It may be stated that today the meeting was called by the deputy collector, Narayan Gad to talk over the recent incident in which one person from Mulgao was injured and there was severe loss of property in the village after mining pit gave way and mine sludge entered the village. During the meeting the people of Mulgao submitted several demands and the company only partly accepted the demands. The first demand put forward by the MNKS was regarding the filling of existing pits and buffer zone to be maintained. "Existing alignment line along 3/4 bottom up to the lake point should be maintained no further encroachment towards village side should be done" reads the first demand which was accepted by the company. Besides this it also accepted the demand for construction of a retaining concrete wall for the a lake till paddy fields in the village and Buffer Zone for Manas Bagwada. Eventhough the company accepted this demand it was not in favour of several other demands put forward by the samiti. Firstly it strongly declined the demand of giving employment to the locals on the ground that there are hardly any vacancies in the company. There was uproar at this point and the villagers strongly demanded employment to the village youths. "The company should make necessary arrangments to accomodate youths in the company and if required changes should be made" Vasant Gad demanded. But the Sesa Goa managing director Bicholim mines, Krishna Reddy told that he would have to talk to his higher authorities and disclosed that there are hardly any vacancies in the company. The company partly agreed most of the demands and told that these demands would be further discussed with the villagers in the evening. Some of these demands include compensation for a period of five years to paddy fields from Porachopato to Dhaim at Rs 70 per sq mts; Kulagars compensation of Rs 400 per sq mts for each bagaytdar; uncultivated area from Gaonkarwada to Manasbag of Rs 25 per Sq mts. The demand was also made for compensation for effected houses in the village and annual compensation of Rs 50,000 per house. In the evening when the meeting was held in the village it was told that the company has asked for time to discuss the demands with the higher authorities. "With regard to the demand of compensation to houses and employment we are asked to make as survey and they have promised to get back to us in next few days" Mulgao deputy sarpanch, Vishalsen Gad told Herald "we are satisfied with their assurance and most of our demands would be met."