Defy Sec 144
Block Mandovi Bridge for 2 hrs
Threaten to approach global forum
PANJIM, NOV 2
Several hundreds of protestors today marched on the streets of Panjim opposing proposed National Highway (NH) widening defying the government’s order of imposing Section 144 in Panjim and Porvorim.
National Highway Diversion Action Committee (NHDAC) led protest evoked big response this evening.
The protestors, who marched from Azad Maidan, were stopped near Mandovi Bridge, when they tried to cross over.
NHDAC convener Sunil Desai and few others were the first stopped by the police contingents led by Superintendent of Police (SP) Arvind Gawas, when they tried to move towards Secretariat at Porvorim.
Deputy SP Deu Banavlikar, who had followed the morcha right from Azad Maidan, also managed to stop the agitators with more than 100 policemen.
In order to ensure that protestors don’t overturn the police, three fire barricades were also put in force.
However, the skirmish lasted for not more than five minutes, when agitators moved back and turned the agitation into a public meeting.
Speaking during the gathering, Desai said that committee will be soon holding meeting at village levels to make public aware about the issue and to garner support for the agitation.
“If the issue is not solved by November 23, then the committee will approach ‘International Forum to Fight Against Injustice’,” Desai warned the government adding that this will be the last opportunity before the Congress-led government.
The committee is also planning to hold a morcha at Margao after Diwali.
“We will continue to fight till government revises the present alignment…we are not opposed to highways or development but our objection is to the present alignment,” Desai stated.
The agitators managed to block the Mandovi Bridge for nearly two hours thus affecting the traffic, which was later diverted via new bridge.
Tempo, attached with loudspeakers, which was leading the morcha, was later converted into public meeting platform.
The NHDAC agitation, which was attended by people across the State also, had members of BJP, Goa Bachao Abhiyan and All Goa Trade Union Congress.
North Goa Member of Parliament, Shripad Naik extending his support stated that State doesn’t want national highways at the cost of people.
“The Congress-led government wants to make money…they are not for aam admi,” he alleged.
Former convenor of Goa Bachao Abhiyan Dr Oscar Rebello pointed out that Congress government has always helped people to agitate and come on streets.
“There has not been a single day, when people have not come on streets to fight against various government decisions, which were forced on us…it may be SEZ or NH,” he stated.
Dr Rebello said that State is in need of infrastructure, development, highways…but not by destroying the livelihood of the people.
“The interests of the people need to be taken care…but our government is keen towards vote bank system and money,” he added.
He said that though government terms the expansion of NH as a step towards State’s progress, I feel this progress is at the tune of complete destruction of Goans just to feel the coffers of one percent of State’s population.
Yet another GBA member Anand Madgavkar appealed people to extend their full support to throw away the NH project, which is done at the cost of public money.
He pointed out that the current form of highway expansion is against the draft Regional Plan submitted by experts committee.
BJP MLAs — Francis D’Silva, Damodar Naik, Dilip Parulekar, Anant Shet, Mahadev Naik, BJP spokesperson Govind Parvatkar, National Fish Workers Forum, president Matanhy Saldanha, Advocate Satish Sonak, heritage activist Prajal Sakhardande, AITUC president Christopher Fonseca, NHDAC leaders Fatima D’Sa, Patricia Pinto, Fr Felix Lobo and other prominent leaders also spoke at the gathering.
