VASCO: Goencho Ekvott members on Saturday expressed shocked to learn that the State Cabinet has recently granted approval for the acquisition of additional land at Guirdolim and Sanguem for railway double tracking despite stiff opposition from the locals.
Goencho Ekvott is protesting against this undemocratic decision of the government and the members retaliated by burning the effigy of Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant.
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In a press release, the GE stated this Chief Minister has overlooked the Goan sentiments and Goa’s demography of the place by merely working as an agent for the crony capitalist of Gujarat rather than as the Chief Minister of Goa who is duty bound to protect the interests of the local people.
“Despite the gram sabha resolutions by more than 70 per cent of the village panchayats, and opposition from its own BJP MLA who vociferously opposed the project, it clearly indicates that this current government is ruining the lives of people, livelihood and environment to promote the BJP agenda of development which is solely to help the coal mafia,” the GE claimed.
Joint Secretary Olencio Simoes stated that the Chief Minister is gradually approving the land acquisition. In May 2020, land admeasuring 60,117 sq mts, which was fraudulently ‘acquired’ in Majorda, then again on July 15, 2021 to acquire more land of 8,104 sq mts for special project i.e. Hospet/Hubli/Tinaighat/Vasco da Gama and now this additional land for doubling from Kulem to Margao section of South Western Railway in Guirdolim and Sanguem.
He further stated that the State government is all out to destroy our heritage houses and UNESCO recognised World Heritage Site at Mollem, which is one of the eight hot-spots of bio-diversity in the world despite gram panchayats that have passed resolution wherein 90 per cent of land owners have objected to their ancestral land being acquired for double tracking and the National Highway 4A expansion. The State government has made it crystal clear to make Goa as a coal corridor to transport 136 MMTPA of coal to industrial steel plants in South Maharashtra and northern Karnataka through road, rail, inland and coastal waterways.
Founder member Orville Dourado Rodrigues questioned how can our Chief Minister can be so anti-Goan especially when the Supreme Court directed the Central Empowered Committee (CEC) to conduct on-site inspection, which has thereafter evaluated and submitted to the Supreme Court its recommendation that it ‘does not find any justification for undertaking a project of this nature and recommended that the apex court “revoke the permissions granted for special project of doubling i.e. Hospet/Hubli/Tinaighat/Vasco da Gama”, and “to scrap the project in totality”.
Further Rodrigues stated that the Goencho Ekvott will conduct a body meeting to plan the future course of action and if required will canvass in all 40 constituencies to ensure that the BJP candidates are defeated since the party is working against the interests of Goa and its people.
