MARGAO: The farmers of Loutolim village remained vigilant over their fields and the areas marked for land acquisition for the proposed new high-level Borim Bridge and bypass road project.
It may be recalled that tensions have been brewing in the village since last week when the Public Works Department (PWD) sent a letter to the Loutolim village panchayat, informing them about a demarcation exercise to be carried out in the village on Monday, which didn't take place without any official update as to the reasons behind the inspection not taking place.
As per the letter that had been sent by PWD to the panchayat, during this exercise, PWD and consultants for the bridge project would survey the areas earmarked for the aforementioned land acquisition process on Monday, but no timing was mentioned.
However, despite PWD officials verbally informing a group of farmers who had visited the PWD office on Monday, that the inspection would be postponed to Wednesday, no such inspection took place on Wednesday either.
While the farmers had a sense on Tuesday evening that an inspection would not a on Wednesday as the panchayat had not received any official intimation, a group of farmers waited at the site on Wednesday in case an inspection happened without their knowledge.
The farmers have vowed to continue their close watch and have also demanded that PWD reply to the letter sent by the panchayat, asking for various conditions to be met before proceeding with the demarcation exercise.
Sources also stated that police personnel were also keeping watch at the site in anticipation of an inspection on Wednesday.
The farmers have sought legal counsel to prepare themselves, even though they had already submitted written objections to PWD's land acquisition office, which were initially dismissed but are pending appeals.
"Since our panchayat has written to the PWD, compliance mandates a reply to the letter. If the authorities conduct demarcation quietly without informing the panchayat or the farmers, it would not be right and potentially bad in law too. So now it's a wait-and-watch situation for us. We will remain alert," said Albert Pinheiro, Chairman of the Loutolim Tenants Association.