Bokadvira villagers halt CIDCO land-filling, demand their claims be settled first

Uran: Villagers of Bokadvira marched to the site on Saturday and stopped soil-filling work that CIDCO had begun next to their village. The work, on an open plot in Sector 41 of CIDCO's Dronagiri node, had been under way since Tuesday under heavy police protection. Women made up a large part of the march.

The villagers say the land-filling should wait until the long-pending claims of CIDCO's project-affected families are settled: higher compensation, the 12.5 per cent developed plots due to them, an extended gaothan (village settlement area) and rehabilitation, issues that have been pending for about 40 years. A joint meeting of CIDCO officials, police and villagers at the village Ganesh temple ended without agreement, after which the villagers decided to protest.

They want the work near their homes stopped at once, the approvals, maps, orders and permissions for it shown to them, a written assurance from the administration that their safety will not be put at risk, and their objections formally recorded. Any further action, they say, should be taken only after talks with them.

The villagers have appealed to residents to join the agitation peacefully to protect their homes, land and village.

Source: Loksatta