After 152 days of sus tained protest, Karapur-Sarvan villagers finally met Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and secured a time bound assurance from him. Meeting a delegation of protest ers at Ravindra Bhavan, Sankhali, on Thursday, Sawant assured them that a decision on the project would be taken within the next three days af ter verifying all facts, documents and procedural details. At the same time, he made it clear that the government could not simply halt the project im mediately. The villagers have been demand ing that the project be permanently scrapped.
But the government has offered to first examine the documentation and fol low the legal and administrative process. “As Chief Minister, I cannot directly stop this project immediately; there is a legal process involved,” Sawant said, adding that necessary steps would be taken in the best interest of the village after verifying all facts, procedural details and documentation. The Chief Minister directed the North Goa Collector to convene a joint meet ing of officials from all concerned departments and the villagers within the next two days. He also said the Bicholim Deputy Collector had been directed to verify each and every document related to the project and suggest the best possible solution in the interest of the villagers. The villagers have raised concerns over traditional pathways, environmental degradation and local land rights, including tenancy rights (kul lands), which they maintain could be affected by the project. Sawant said the issue of traditional pathways had already been resolved through previous discussions. However, he pointed out that the documentation sought by the government regarding tenancy rights was yet to be submitted. On the environmental concerns, Sawant said the matter was already sub ju dice before the National Green Tribunal and the Supreme Court. The government’s position, therefore, falls short of the protesters’ principal demand.
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While the Chief Minister has now set a three-day window for verifica tion and promised a decision thereafter, he has stopped short of saying that the mega housing project will be withdrawn. For the protesters, however, the meeting marked a significant shift after months of agitation. They described it as the most constructive dialogue they had had with the State government since the protest began, even as they made it clear that the sit-in would continue. Dr Swapnil Salelkar, who is spearheading the protest, said the villagers would not dilute their demand despite the assurance. “We remain firm in our stance that the mega housing project should be per manently scrapped. The sit-in protest will continue until the government-level meetings conclude and a final decision is arrived at,” he said.
Adv Ajay Prabhugaonkar said the latest intervention had brought the various government departments involved in the project to the same table. “Until now, officials from various government departments connected with this project had not come together. But following the Chief Minister’s directive, all concerned officials will meet under the District Collector to review our sup porting documents.” Environmentalist Swapnesh Sherlekar said the detailed discussion with the Chief Minister had offered a ray of hope to the villagers, provided the adminis trative verification moved forward in the same manner.
