Team Herald
PANJIM: Bharat Mukti Morcha (BMM) that has taken up the Vanxim issue suspects returns in black and has demanded a CBI probe into the deal.
Addressing the media, BMM President Maggie Silveira called for the CBI probe into all the ‘layers of corruption’ involved in the Vanxim land deal. BMM has also demanded a probe into former chief minister Manohar Parrikar’s role in the deal and alleged that his secretary and secretary’s wife are linked with Ozone that is developing the land.
BMM also accused local MLA Pandurang Madkaikar of supporting the Ozone and compromising with the investors.
She said the role of two deputy collectors is suspicious for helping the land deal take place by entertaining condonation of delay applications and passing orders in favour of Ozone, even though they didn’t have the powers.
Claiming, that the conversion of 82,295 square metres into settlement zone is a fraud recommended by the Investment Promotion Board, BMM said that on the Regional Plan 2021 area is shown as being eco-sensitive with mangroves bordering Mandovi River.
Meanwhile, BMM on Monday said that Union Minister Nitin Gadkari’s statement to give fishing trawlers to traditional fishermen to fish in the deep sea is an attempt to accommodate marinas in Zuari bay.
Gadkari had said the government will support fishermen to fish outside the traditional limit of 12 nautical miles, where the fish catch is more. He had also said that the government can purchase big trawlers and hand them over to the fishermen.
“The jurisdiction of the State is within 12 nautical miles where there is no fish and outside that limit fishing is not happening. We have to bridge this disparity,” the minister had said.
Taking strong objection of this, BMM President Maggie Silveira said Gadkari’s comment is because traditional fishermen have been involved in the protest against marinas in Zuari bay at Sancoale and Nauxim-Bambolim.
“Gadkari’s advice has not originated from any concern for traditional fishermen but out of concern for marinas and luxury tourism. His comment is an insult to the traditional fishermen from Zuari coast. Gadkari is neither aware of what traditional fishing is nor what trawling is and the difference between the two,” she said.
