Team Herald
PANJIM: The State Legislative Assembly witnessed high drama on Monday when Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar charged ‘some legislators’ of raising the golf course and eco-tourism resort project in Tiracol, Pernem to settle personal scores and reiterated his support to the project.
His remark, that subsequently triggered a ruckus in the Assembly, came up when the Opposition tried to corner the government for allowing the controversial project by turning a blind eye towards illegal felling of hundreds of trees at the site.
“I will not allow anyone to misuse the House. I know that some members (legislators) raise matters, be it casinos or Tiracol project during the Assembly sessions to settle personal scores. I am the CM…” he said when Independent MLA Rohan Khaunte and Congress’ Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco demanded a Select Committee or House Committee to study the matter of Leading Hotels Pvt Ltd felling trees without permission.
“I was sympathetic towards the project ever since the former government gave in-principle approval because the rural taluka needs development and there were no projects generating employment. It got investment and I gave my unwritten support. Even today, my government and myself support the project. Goa needs employment and whoever wants to construct the project without affecting environment, I will be supporting it. It is duty of the government to save the investment,” Parsekar stated, adding he does not want to send wrong signals to investors.
Lourenco dared the CM to name the legislators as both MLAs demanded that the government prove the statement. The noisy scenes by the Opposition forced Speaker Rajendra Arlekar to turn off their microphones twice.
The CM had intervened in the discussion when Khaunte, who tabled the starred question on the illegal tree cutting at Tiracol’s survey number 6/1 without authorization, alleged that trees were not only uprooted but also transported to Maharashtra. He told Forest Minister Alina Saldanha she should get her facts rights.
The Porvorim MLA alleged that on May 14-15 Leading Hotels had deployed nearly 50 bouncers at the site to create terror amongst the villagers and allow felling of trees on survey number 6/1. Saldanha conceded that no permission was granted even as ‘some trees were damaged’ and 10 uprooted. She quickly added that the department filed a police complaint for violation of NGT and High Court of Bombay at Goa’s order.
Khaunte demanded investigation into the entire episode including clearance of sanad in 2013. Lourenco said issues like existence of fort in the village and a tenancy land also exist, and government should form a committee to probe into these aspects if it is transparent.
Parsekar came to the minister’s rescue declaring his support for the project and accused ‘some legislators to raise issues on the floor of the House to settle their scores.’
The government failed to give any assurance about forming any committee to probe into the matter.
