People of Bangra Kulur fear that they will be evicted from their locality as it is one of the sites being considered for the proposed cricket stadium. The area was inspected by the Deputy Commissioner recently.
With nearly 250 families, Bangra Kulur village is off National Highway 17 and part of it runs parallel to the Gurupur river for about a km. The land which is being considered for the stadium is just off the highway and residential areas are a few metres beyond it, towards the riverside.
Most of the house owners have a few cents of agricultural land, where they grow sugarcane, paddy, and vegetables.
Arnold D'Souza, a civil contractor and agriculturist, does not want to give up his land. “If they start acquiring land for one purpose today, something else will come up tomorrow (and we will have to give up more land). Part of the ring road (Mangala Corniche project) will pass through this area,” he said.
Another person from the village said that several influential persons owned land in the area.
Fifteen families depend on shellfish from the river for their livelihood, said Kiran D'Souza. Lucy D'Souza, who grows vegetables and has a few coconut palms, is determined not to give up her land. “I wake up at 5 a.m. daily and go to Central Market to sell vegetables. I live by cultivating my land and I want my children to know what it means,” she said.
Nearly 40 families in the area, which owned cows, sold milk to a nearby dairy, she said.
Sushila (59) has heard about the proposed stadium. However, she is worried about the living cost if she and her family are evicted. “The Government may give us a site elsewhere, but not close by. My sons work in Baikampady (industrial area which is nearby). Building a house in the city will cost lakhs of rupees. Will they give us Rs. 4 lakh per cent? (the market value of land),” she asked.
Deputy Commissioner Subodh Yadav said that as the cricket associations had not yet finalised a site, “premature fears (of residents) are unfounded”.
