Rehabilitation of displaced Selaulim locals in 1 year: Min

MARGAO: Minister for water resources Subhash Shirodkar on Tuesday said that all pending issues concerning rehabilitation of people displaced by the Salaulim irrigation project would be settled within the next one year.
“The meeting of the Command Area Development Authority (CADA) Board will be held soon. Land allotted to all beneficiaries will be demarcated to ascertain if any excess land has been apportioned, and to determine how many have been left out, if any, (following which) the list will be finalised.All issues will be finalised at the CADA board meeting. Post 2024, there will be no more issues pending to be resolved,” said Shirodkar.
Shirodkar gave this assurance while speaking at the Independence Day function at the Salaulim dam at Sanguem, in the presence of Sanguem MLA and social welfare minister Subhash Phal Dessai.
Recently, 12 families from Dapode in Bhati, Sanguem, had threatened to take to the streets and boycott the forthcoming Lok sabha polls if their demand for rehabilitation was not met immediately. The protesters claimed that they were among those who were displaced over 40 years ago on account of the Salaulim dam project but for some reasons were deprived of the compensation promised to them.
The rehabilitation package for the 1984 project consisted of 10,000sqm of agricultural land and 400sqm of a residential plot. Of these, 478 people opted for plots, while 72 chose monetary compensation of Rs 4 lakhs. However, 71 families are still awaiting the rehabilitation package.