CORTALIM, JULY 25
Sending a strong signal that they will not allow a mega project in their village, the Agassaim gram sabha on Sunday unanimously opposed a five-star hotel which is to come up along Moita-Dandi belt.
The villagers stood up to say “No” when asked whether they were interested in the project.
The villagers have also decided to take on the hotelier, who has challenged the panchayat resolution opposing the proposed hotel as per the decision taken by the gram sabha.
The gram sabha expressed the need that the panchayat lawyer be briefed properly and given all the documentations so that a fight can be put up in the court against the hotelier.
Leading the discussion, a lawyer from the village Adv Esperdiao Dias wanted to know from the sarpanch and the secretary whether in the first place they had inspected the place where the hotel is proposed to come up.
However, both the sarpanch Piadade Fernandes and secretary confessed that they had not seen the place but gave their (panchayat) backing to the villagers in opposing the project.
But a villager Shrish Lawande expressed doubts in the panchayat saying their mere lip service would not show their real intentions.
“The words should be transformed into action, and it is only then the villagers will know that the panchayat is against the project,” Lawande said much to the applause of the villagers.
Mr Dias claimed that he was informed that the hotelier had managed to get CRZ clearance. He said that the panchayat had not given him the copy and wondered as to how the hotelier could get CRZ clearance when the area is full of mangroves and added that if need be the CRZ clearance would have to be challenged.
Dias also informed that the area proposed for the hotel was earlier home to Kadamba port and said the area is a heritage site with a rich history.
Dias also gave a grim picture of the ill effects posed by big hotels and said these was evident in Panjim and other coastal areas in Goa. He said that prostitution, drugs are freely available and wondered whether the villagers wanted such type of activity to come up in their village.
Appealing to the villagers not to get carried away by the baits thrown at them in the form of jobs which are mostly low paid, Adv Dias said the dangers posed by the hotel are much more than the goodies it claims to offer.
Tony Fernandes social worker also spoke at the gram sabha and called upon the villagers to unite against the project without any fear.
The gram sabha also formed a committee called `Save Agassiam Village Environment’ under the presidentship of Adv Esperdiao Dias. Some villagers were also of the view that its MLA Francisco Silveira be made a member of the committee.
Prominent among those present was Konkani writer Dilip Borkar and panchas.
