Corlim locals threaten to approach high court over Syngenta sale

Team Herald

PANJIM: The Corlim Citizens Civic and Consumer Forum (CCCCF) has strongly opposed the sale of Syngenta India Ltd to Deccan Fine Chemical at Corlim and has threatened to approach the High Court of Bombay at Goa. The forum has already served legal notice to the State government, through the chief secretary, on the issue.

The forum and locals are opposing the sale of Syngenta to another company only mainly because of the dangers involved. The forum said that if Syngenta continues to operate, even with the same products, than do not have any issues, but are opposed to Deccan Fine Chemical which, they claim, has a coloured history in other parts of the country. 

“Syngenta is taking extraordinary measures for safety and security but we don’t trust the other tainted company which has a bad track record,” said CCCCF president Rosario Carvalho said.

Baptista Pereira, secretary of the forum said that as per the sale deed of 1969 between the Government of India and Ciba, which is now Syngenta, there is a clause which restricts the company from selling the 7,53,840 square metre property which was then purchased at 25 paisa per square metre. According to the clause in the deed of sale, the first priority while selling the land, should be given to the vendor that is the government, Pereira said. 

“We have already sent representations to various authorities of the State government so that the sale of Syngenta can be blocked and that the government may take over the precious property,” Pereira said. 

The property can be now utilized for some good educational institutes instead of such dangerous plant and that to by a tainted company, said Tony Gracious, a local resident and a member of CCCCF. 

Dr Simon D’Souza, a former Chairman of the Goa State Pollution Control Board and the member of forum said that the government should not have allowed residential projects and houses to be constructed in the vicinity as then the problem would not have arisen. 

In the vicinity of Syngenta there are three high schools, six primary schools, one technical institute, and a population of over 35,000 residing in the surrounding villages.