Around 300 people, claiming to be project affected people (PAP), have been protesting in CBD Belapur since Monday against the City and Industrial Development Corporation’s (CIDCO) airport rehabilitation scheme.
The protesters are agitated over CIDCO declaring ‘zero eligibility’ for the scheme for nearly 213 families, who they claim, have been living in the area for generations. “It is injustice,” said Ramchandra Mhatre, President, Akhil Bharatiya Kisan Sabha, Raigad.
“I am a resident for the past 70 years and still, have received a zero eligibility letter from CIDCO. Where will I go now?” said Chandrabai Thakur, one of the protestors. Another protester, Sanjay Takhur said, “CIDCO should provide job training to PAPs who have now been relocated to the city.”
A CIDCO official, however, on condition of anonymity, said, “There are people who built temporary sheds in 2015 with the intention to claim eligibility in the scheme along with the others. As per our scheme, the benefit will be provided only for those who had homes before 2014. The zero eligibility letter has been sent to those who either built the shelter after 2014 or are from Waghivali village, which does not come under the 10 villages rehabilitated for the airport project. We did not ask Waghivali villagers to vacate and yet some of them vacated hoping to get benefits of the scheme.”
Close to 98% of villagers in the 10 villages have vacated their homes while the remaining from Ulwe, Kombadbhuje and a few from Chinchpada are expected to vacate by January 3.
Vanita Bhagat from Waghivali village said, “We have been engaged in fishing for generations and now, due to land filling, there is no place to do so. CIDCO should provide us alternative means of livelihood. We do not know any other trade and CIDCO should train us in another profession and provide jobs.”
CIDCO has claimed that details of the fishermen will be verified from the Fisheries Department as their boats are registered with it. A legitimate solution will be found for the fishermen who lost work due to the project, said the officer quoted earlier.
