Former Chief Justice of the Allahabad High Court Ferdino Rebello on Saturday rued that the State government had not allocated funds in the budget for carrying capacity studies in villages.
Speaking to reporters after chairing a meeting of the ‘Enough is Enough’ core committee to discuss the future course of action, Justice Rebello said that one of their demands was the release of funds to conduct carrying capacity studies. However, the Chief Minister has not made any budgetary allocation for such studies in villages and appeared to have no interest in conducting them.
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“If carrying capacity studies are conducted then mega housing projects will collapse. But the government is not interested because it will be exposed. We are ready. This is not a T-20 match and it is a long innings. We are ready to fight and we are not going to surrender,” he said.
He questioned whether the State’s infrastructure can absorb more people. He pointed out that several villages continue to face basic problems such as inadequate electricity, water supply and poor road infrastructure.
The ‘Enough is Enough’ group announced a series of public meetings across the State. A meeting will be held in Ponda on March 12 even as it remains unclear whether the Election Commission of India (ECI) will announce a by-election in the Ponda constituency. Meetings are planned for March 15 in Canacona and between April 6 and 13 in Pernem, Sanguem and Bardez talukas.
Raising questions about the proposed new casino in the Mandovi river, Justice Rebello said that the permission for one of the offshore casino operations had ended in 2023 and the vessel was expected to move to territorial waters outside the Mandovi river. If that is the case, he demanded to know how a new casino vessel could enter the Mandovi river.
He further demanded a specific and clear statement from the Chief Minister that no new casino vessel will be allowed in the Mandovi river. The Chief Minister had so far only stated that “for the present” no new casino will come in the Mandovi river, he pointed out.
A public interest litigation (PIL) writ petition challenging the government’s decision to allow offshore casino vessels in the Mandovi river will be filed next week by three activists — Sudip Tamhankar, Harish Madkaikar and Chryselle D’Silva Dias. The petitioners further plan to prosecute all directors of companies for allegedly conducting gambling on casino vessels without the required government notification.
Another PIL writ petition will be filed challenging Section 17A of the Town and Country Planning (TCP) Act after further consultations. The draft is ready and the petition will be filed within a fortnight.
According to Justice Rebello, the core committee also discussed organisational expansion. Committees will be constituted in all 12 talukas within a fortnight. The North Goa district committee will comprise Swapnesh Sherlekar, Francis Coelho, Govind Shirodkar and Devidas Amonkar as members, while in the South Goa district the team will include senior advocate Cleofato Almeida Coutinho, Elvis Gomes, Serafin Cotta and Sandesh Prabhudesai.
He said that he will hold a meeting of activists from Mormugao taluka on Sunday, March 8. So far, the Canacona taluka committee has been constituted.
Justice Rebello also announced that their website will be ready within the next five to seven days, while social media platforms will become operational within 10 days. An office will be opened and will start functioning in Panjim from Wednesday or Thursday to facilitate coordination with members from Panjim, Margao, Mapusa and Chandor areas where meetings had already been held, and later with others.
Justice Rebello argued that between April 1, 2023 and January 11, 2025 there was no notification allowing gaming on casino vessels. Under Section 13A of the law, the government was required to notify specific areas where gaming activities are permitted. “All offshore casino vessels must go out of the Mandovi river and go into the territorial waters of Goa,” he said, alleging that the government was extending their licences to operate in the Mandovi river till Mar
