Team Goemkarponn
CANACONA – Goa Forest department has filed a police complaint against 3 Khotigao residents including a former sarpanch for obstructing their construction works in the panchayat area of Khotigao village.
Speaking media on Thursday at Canacona police station, a group of residents accompanying three of their villagers called for interrogation at Canacona Police Station, informed that Forest Department at the first place was carrying out an illegal construction work in the village allegedly to house a checkpost at Pimplamoll area.
‘It was on 23rd of last month that an unregistered JCB (having no registration number) was seen carrying out some excavation works at Pimplamoll, after locals on the previous night noticed some forest officials carrying out demarcation works. People through their own sources learnt that Forest Dept is constructing a Checkpost in the area, which everyone of us learnt that it is being done to harass us, the local residents.’, stated Daya aliam Umesh Gaonkar, a former Khotigao sarpanch and ST Leader
‘Around 50 people gathered and questioned, a forest guard supervising the works for the panchayat permission and other licenses to carry the ongoing works, but initially stating they have all the permissions misguided the people, when people themselves found out VP has not given any NOC nor permission for such works. We also found that an unregistered JCB is being used to carry out the illegal works, and asked the JCB operator to stop the works. We phoned Mamlatdar, Police Station, Mamlatdasr sent his Talathi, who inspected and the JCB operator was asked to leave the site. This was on 23rd February. Thereafter, the matter was also discussed in the gramsabha, where members felt forest department is carrying out construction to open a checkpost at the location and everyone felt it is being done to harass us the locals. A decision is conveyed to RFO (Wildlife), Canacona. Even the MLA of Canaocna, visited the spot, and told the forest officials that till such time people are not properly informed and people wants, till such time construction should not be continued. it is felt that if anything is done it should be done legally, but residents expressed their determination not to allow another checkpost in the village, as the already one existing at Nadkem, creates innumberable problems to the people Sheshaval.’, informed former Sarpanch and ST leader Daya alias Umesh Gaonkar.
Informing that police has called Wednesday for three villagers ( Kalpesh Gaonkar, Gajanan Velip and Daya Gaonkar) asking to report for investigation into a complaint filed by Forest Dept RFO Anand Mestri, which is almost 15 days after the incident took place, we have come to the police station, but the complainant didn’t turned up at-all and our statements are recorded by police and were asked to leave’, stated Daya Gaonkar accomplanied by dozens of villagers outside the police station.
Villagers informed that in no way they will allow another checkppost in the village, which forest department is doing only to harass our people every now and than. The RFO is ill-treating our society people (ST community), and we are going to complain against this behaviour through UTTA to the ST Commission.
Forest department is doing everything to harass our people and not allowing us to live in peace’, alleged villager.
It is however learnt that Forest department has complaint to the police against the three villagers on 28th February, 6 days after the incident,
Khotigao villagers vows to complaint against Forest Department with ST Commission. Forest dept harasses local residents for opposing illegal construction to set up a check-post.
Residents also alleges that the three persons choosen for complaint is their leader (ST) and former Sarpanch Daya Gaonkar, Kalpesh Gaonkar an RTI activist, and another youth, but we will not allow forest department to set up a checkpost at Pimplamoll, as it is being done just to harass our community.
With the present stand taken by villagers, there is a possibility that the dispute between the local residents and the Forest Department is likely to escalate further.
‘If any construction is to be done within the panchayat area, a no-objection certificate from the local panchayat is required. The land on which this construction is being done has not been decided yet.
Moreover, former Sarpanch Daya Gaonkar has alleged that an unauthorized and unregistered JCB was used for this work during the holidays. Meanwhile, if a check post is built at Pimplamoll, the locals will be highly inconvenienced. ‘we are not going to sit silent if forest department attempts to proceed further. There will be opposition to the construction of a check post here. This issue was also raised in the previous Gram Sabha, as alert people has submitted a question to the panchayat body over the forest department’s hidden agenda of housing yet another checkpost in the village.
As said we are approaching ST commission for the atrocities being rendered on ST people by forest department with a sole aim to harass them, Daya Gaonkar and Kalpesh Gaonkar said the present forest officer is inflicting all these atrocities by carrying illegal construction on the people of the village. ‘it is not that only my supporters or wellwishers will be affected, buyt every villagers are going to face the consequences.
