PANAJI: Health Minister Vishwajit Rane said on Monday that he had written to the Chairman of the Pramod Sawant Minister, seeking the withdrawal of police cases submitted against Melauli, Sattari, locals, involved in agitation on the IIT campus.
Rane also said that he had asked CM to restore the land left to the IIT back to the State Revenue Department.
“By referring to all the cases submitted against the villagers of Shel Village Melauli in Guleli Panchayat during IIT protests, I have written a letter to the head of the Minister @drmpramodpsawan to bring down all charges against them.
This problem needs to be done when there will be no IIT on Guleli and like which was decided by the cabinet, “Rane tweeted on Monday night.
“I have asked for cm through my mail and email to draw cases with direct effects.
I will meet him in this case to follow up the same.
I am sure that CM will pay attention to my request in the public interest,” Rane said.
Rane’s statement came in the light of the residents of Rail Village Melauli continuing their agitation, demanding the withdrawal of criminal charges proposed to them and seeking land returns to submit IIT to the state government.
“In addition, I also want to submit a request to CM, that the land transferred for the IIT must be taken over by the government and return to the income department,” Rane said.
The IIT project planned at Shel Melauli was withdrawn in mid-January 2021 in protest from increased locals, which leads to clashes between villagers and police personnel.
Clashes resulted in criminal charges proposed against villagers, who have not been withdrawn, even though the project itself in Melauli stands canceled.
At the top of the protest from the villagers, Rane supported the villagers and said that he had not been told that the police would be involved by the government to spread protests.
The villagers said they were against the project because they had been stored in the dark over the details by the state, until the government surveyors were found to survey horticultural land locals.