TEAM HERALD
teamherald@herald-goa.com
MARGAO: With the police investigations into the Sao Jose de Areal blast to trace the source of explosives coming a cropper so far, the Scheduled Tribes Association has demanded handing over of the case to the central investigation agencies including the CBI or the NIA.
A representation to this effect has been made by the Areal-based association to the Chief Minister and other authorities, demanding to know whether any police or forest officials were involved in the case. “Areal villagers would like to know the source of the explosive materials. The number of recovered bombs indicated role of more than one person. Are such bombs required for poaching as contended by the police?” questioned the association President Pedro Canstanha.
The association rued that the illegal scrap yards, factories et al have destroyed the peaceful village. “We face health and sanitation problems. Fire accidents occur in the scrap yards at least four times a year. Murders and robberies are not uncommon”, he said, while pleading with the government to initiate legal action against all illegal activities to save the ST-dominated Areal village from further destruction.
He said the bomb blast is indeed an eye opener for the safety and security of the peaceful village. “Areal has an industrial estate, which plays host to around 200 industries.
The village has around 40 stone quarries, 50 illegal scrap yards and dozens of saw mills and cement products industries. These industries use more than 90 per cent migrant work force, where the workers mostly reside in the factory premises. Therefore, it is necessary to check the migrants for the security and safety of the villagers”, the association demanded.
In the meantime, it has made a representation to the village sarpanch requesting him to take up the bomb blast case at the gram sabha meeting scheduled on May 18. The association has also asked the sarpanch to invite the local MLA.
