Maha asks Goa to provide employment to people hit by Tillari

project

Panaji, Jan 17 (PTI) Maharashtra government today askedGoa to provide government employment to 630 people affected bythe inter-state Tillari irrigation development project.

In a high level meeting held here today, Maharashtra�sWater Resources Minister Sunil Tatkare urged his Goacounterpart, Philip Nery Rodrigues, to work out programme toprovide employment to 630 people from Sindhudurg district ofMaharashtra who were displaced due to the project.

"If Goa cannot provide the government jobs, it canformulate one-time settlement for the project-affectedpeople," Tatkare told reporters after attending the meeting.

Maharashtra�s demand stems from the agreement signedbetween both the states in 1990 which gave Goa 73 per centwater share from the dam project on Tillari river in the Northdistrict.

Tatkare said that with Goa getting larger water share, itwas also supposed to shoulder higher cost-sharing to theextent of 73 per cent and bore liability like providingemployment to the project affected people (PAP) as per 1976rehabilitation act of Maharashtra.

"As a big brother, Maharashtra has let its land besubmerged for the project and villages be rehabilitated forthe project. Now its turn of Goa to fulfill its promises," theminister said responding to a question.

He said that few PAP families had threatened to commitsuicides if government employment, as promised to them duringtheir evacuation, is not provided to them. .