Minister for Higher Education and Tourism R V Deshpande on Thursday informed the Legislative Assembly that the Goa government has agreed to provide permanent rehabilitation to the displaced Kannada-speaking people of Baina beach.
Unhappy over the removal of hutments of Kannadigas on the beach in the middle of the monsoon, Mr. Deshpande on Wednesday called on Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, urging him to provide rehabilitation to them.
Making a statement on the outcome of the meeting with the Goa government, Mr. Deshpande said Mr. Parrikar had agreed to extend the stay of Kannada-speaking people in relief camps till September 30 (end of monsoon). They would then be asked to take shelter in rented buildings. The Goa government has also agreed to provide partial amount of the rent.
Mr. Parrikar had assured him that his government would come out with a solution on providing permanent rehabilitation.
He said all those who were living in hutments at Baina beach for more than five years would be given rehabilitation. The Goa government has sought time to identify land to make arrangements for rehabilitation, Mr. Deshpande said.
Mr. Deshpande, who led the delegation to Goa, also visited the beach. He said most of the migrants were construction workers and they had been residing in hutments for many decades. The migrants said the Goa government had provided electricity and water connections to their houses and issued ration cards.
Mr. Deshpande said he had told Mr. Parrikar that he should have rehabilitated the migrants before demolishing their huts as children and elderly people were residents of those huts. The Goa government contended that all Baina beach huts were within the high tide zone and a Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) area, and therefore illegal. “But I have requested the government to rehabilitate these migrants suitably,” Mr. Deshpande said.
He said he was accompanied by Goa Leader of Opposition Pratapsingh Rane and former Chief Minister Digambar Kamat.
