Over the years, we Indians have cultivated the art of noise-making for our convenience. People have spared no effort to nail the BJP government on every issue that surfaces. They accuse it of failing to deliver on its election promises of progress and development despite being voted in nearly a year ago.
It is worth stressing that any new proposal by the government is opposed tooth and nail by the opposition. We are aware that development cannot take place without land acquisition. Sadly, the entire opposition, the NGOs, the NGT, and many other activists are against the government on the Land Acquisition Bill.
When the Prime Minister himself stated that amendments to the proposed bill can be drafted, and even the compensation can be raised, he was met with protests, rallies, and bandhs; all conducted by misleading the people.
Everyone is concerned about the people that will be affected, payment of compensation, and rehabilitation of the displaced in the best manner, which can be done through the cooperation of the stakeholders.
There have been cries about the farmers that have committed suicides. This phenomenon is being observed over the years; it has nothing to do with the BJP or land acquisition. The opposition still maligns the atmosphere by misleading the illiterate.
Consider the project on the development of national highways, a need of the hour to facilitate speedy transport. The government has even established deadlines for completing 30 kilometers of roadways per day. Think of how much employment it would generate in the country. During a visit to Goa, the union transport minister offered many development projects like inland waterways for five rivers in the state, construction of pollution-free smart cities across the Mandovi and Zuari, construction of the new Zuari bridge, and the four-lane road between Goa and Mumbai.
Are we ready to accept, with open hands, this windfall of employment opportunities to thousands of locals? Or do we oppose the plan because land acquisition would displace families, as claimed by the Curtorim MLA? Any development work will inconvenience some people, but it must be welcomed in the overall interest of the state. As it is rightly said ‘nothing venture, nothing have’.
