Team Herald
PANJIM: The High Court of Bombay at Goa has issued notice to Goa Infrastructure Development Corporation (GIDC) seeking a reply over a plea filed by civil society organisation Orixt Porjecho Avaz (OPA) opposing the hosting of Defence Expo India 2016 in Goa. The notice served on Wednesday is returnable in one week.
The High Court is hearing a petition filed by Freddy Fernandes and Irene Lawrence alleging that the exhibition being held at Quitol lacked transparency in its functioning and posed a danger to the lives of residents of nearby villages. The bench had earlier refused to pass an interim stay order on the four-day event that commenced on March 28.
OPA had also pleaded that the Defence Ministry had not sought permission from the Town and Country Planning, Goa State Pollution Control Board, Ministry of Environment and Forests, Health Department, Biodiversity Board, Chief Wildlife Warden and Directorate of Science, Technology and Environment, though these permissions are mandatory for hosting an event of such large magnitude.
The locals in their plea had contended that they were not aware of the risk involved in hosting the expo. The OPA had said the Defence Ministry had refused to give them a detailed project report citing security reasons.
OPA has been protesting since the announcement of the expo and had received support from NGOs and activists across Goa.
