Staff Reporter
Sankhali
A proposal by the government to construct a grand law college on government land in Mayem faced unanimous opposition during a special gram sabha convened on Sunday. The villagers firmly rejected the project, citing unresolved land and agricultural issues and asserted that Mayem has not yet achieved complete independence from government
control.
In a key resolution passed, the gram sabha declared that no new projects should be undertaken in Mayem until the villagers are granted full rights over their land and other longstanding grievances are addressed.
Sarpanch Krishna Chodankar, Deputy Sarpanch, panchayat members, secretary Mahadev Naik, and numerous villagers were present at the meeting held in the panchayat hall.
Chodankar said that the decision regarding the proposed project rests with the villagers and assured them that the panchayat stands in solidarity with their demands.
Former sarpanch Sakharam Pednekar, along with villagers said, “The struggle for Mayem’s freedom is ongoing. Some residents have received sanads (land ownership certificates), but many are still waiting. Until every issue is addressed, no project should even be considered.”
Member Santosh Kumar Sawant questioned the government’s motives behind introducing a new project when many landowners still face difficulties accessing government schemes. “Although the land is technically in the government’s hands, it cannot be used as it wishes. The villagers are still treated as dependents. How can we trust that we won’t be cheated in the name of development?”
Another member Rajesh Kalangutkar said that while the villagers are not opposed to development, the government must first resolve Mayem’s longstanding issues. “Development should not come at the cost of the residents’ rights and well-being,” he said.
The villagers also demanded the appointment of an independent Deputy Collector to address pending applications related to land ownership. They said that legal complications and bureaucratic hurdles continue to delay the grant of sanads.
Pednekar said that farmers in Mayem are still not receiving the benefits of government schemes, despite ongoing follow-ups with the Chief Minister and local MLAs.
