Ponda: An uproar erupted at the Usgao comunidade’s annual general body meeting held last week following allegations that land was being allowed for cow slaughter. The situation escalated to the point that the committee had to summon police to evict unauthorised persons who entered the hall.The AGM was held at the Adinath temple hall to consider leasing a 33,000 sqm plot of land to Ajit Mittal. The resolution was passed with 74 members voting in favour and 30 opposing it.However, alleging that the leaseholder intended to use the land for a slaughterhouse, a group of unauthorised persons barged into the hall, creating chaos and disrupting proceedings. This forced the communidade committee to call the police, said communidade attorney Sudesh M Parab. Parab clarified that the land was leased to Mittal strictly on the condition that it would be used for setting up a dairy farm.A comunidade member stated that a separate 45,000 sqm aframento plot owned by Subhash Usgaonkar of Sanvordem was earlier sold to Pradip Verenkar, who later sold it to Mittal, a casino owner, around three-and-a-half years ago.Usgao communidade president Girish N S Usgaonkar, attorney Sudesh M Parab and treasurer Jayesh S Prabhu were also present at the annual meeting.
