MARGAO: The Land Acquisition Officer, Margao played truant as farmers and local citizens from Velim turned up for hearing on the land acquisition for the Cutbona fisheries project on Wednesday. When the farmers made their presence felt at the office of the LA officer in the district Collectorate, they found to their shock the Land Acquisition Officer, Shagun Velip absent. As a result, officials attached to the Land Acquisition office adjourned the matter by fixing the hearing on September 13. Velim Civic and Consumer Forum Secretary Ramona Almeida, who was amongst the citizens, who came to attend the hearing, said that the people were only given the date to attend the hearing next month. “The farmers cultivating the fields were intimated of the hearing only on Monday. Still, they turned up for the hearing, only to find the land acquisition officer absent for the hearing”, she said. Replying to a question, Ramona said the government should take a decision on the issue before the next date of hearing if it is really interested in scrapping the land acquisition process and the fisheries project at Cutbona. “We have heard the government functionaries and the elected representatives saying they will support the people’s demand and scrap the proceedings. If the government is really serious in meeting the demands of the people, it should scrap the land acquisition process and the project before the next date of hearing”, Ramona said. Meanwhile, Land Acquisition Officer, Shagun Velip said he was preoccupied with official work in Panjim on Wednesday and hence could not take up hearing of the Cutbona land acquisition matter.