17 December,2019 07:22 AM IST | Mumbai | Ranjeet Jadhav
The tribals gathered outside the Aarey CEO's office on Monday to begin their fast unto death over illegal encroachments
The illegal encroachment inside Aarey Milk Colony in Goregaon does not seem to stop despite several efforts by the tribals. The tribal community inside Aarey, alleging that the Aarey CEO office was deliberately turning a blind eye towards the encroachment, started a fast unto death on Monday. The fast was retracted after the CEO assured that action would be taken against the illegal encroachments.
Aarey CEO Nathu Rathod meets the tribals, requesting them to not continue with their fast unto death
A total of 11 tribals including nine women from Aarey gathered near the CEO office on Monday for a fast unto death but were stopped by the office authorities. Residents of 28 tribal hamlets have been alleging that outsiders had been destroying the green cover in the area and constructing hutments in the area close to the tribal hamlets. Chandu Jadhav from Vanichapada area told mid-day despite staying in Aarey for decades, "we are not given permission to repair our houses by the CEO office but illegal houses are being constructed by cutting trees and authorities are ignoring it."
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Jadhav also said that the tribals met the Aarey CEO Nathu Rathod and gave him a letter of their demands. "At unit number 15 and unit number 13, new hutments and illegal houses are being constructed by non-tribals," added Jadhav. The tribals have also demanded that they need permissions from the CEO office to repair their dilapidated houses. However, CEO Rathod said that "the powers to give permissions are not with my office." He said, "The eco-sensitive zone monitoring committee gives the permission. They told me about the illegal encroachments and those structures have already been demolished."
11
No. of tribal protesters
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