THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 2024
Team Herald
PANJIM: The Goencho Avaaz Party (GAP) has expressed its distress at the Pramod Sawant government’s flagrant contempt of court by auctioning of special economic zone (SEZ) land at the Verna Industrial Estate via Goa Industrial Development Corporation (GIDC).
This is in total contravention of the Supreme Court’s order on January 10, 2011 that the status quo must be maintained by all parties on the SEZ land issue pending matter in the court.
Commenting on the matter, GAP convenor Capt Viriato Fernandes said, “The long lease initiative of the BJP government in Goa amounts to contempt of court. How can the government long lease SEZ land when the matter is still in court? How can the Pramod Sawant government display such brazen disrespect for orders of the Supreme Court? If the government itself belittles none less than the Supreme Court, then where does the common citizen turn to for justice?”
Capt. Fernandes pointed out that the government had exposed its anti-Goan bias by clandestinely putting the advertisement for auction of SEZ land on long lease only in national papers whilst leaving out local dailies.
Capt Fernandes demanded that the government should lead by example and set the tone for the administration and the people. Accordingly, the government has yet again given out a clear message that contravention of the law is acceptable and will be tolerated.
The GFP convenor said that the government does not take institutions like the judiciary with any degree of seriousness.
“This perhaps, gives the people of Goa the answer as to why Goa under the Sawant government has degenerated into a totally lawless State, fast turning into a disreputable criminal hub for the rest of the country at the cost of the peace and security of law abiding citizens”, he said.
Capt Fernandes said that now is the time for the people of Goa to turn the tide and penalise the government by breaking their stranglehold over the State in the forthcoming Assembly elections.
