MARGAO: Colva and Macasana gram sabhas on Sunday unanimously opposed nationalisation of rivers, development that is aimed at making Goa a coal hub and Colva also objected to making GST applicable to tiatr and other cultural activities.
The villagers held that rivers have been held in common by the local communities for centuries and nationalization of the rivers would be gross violation of the rights of the local communities as they depend on the rivers for their sustenance and livelihood as agriculture and the fishing industry is linked to the rivers.
The nationalization will lead to using the rivers to transport bulk cargo and result in total destruction of the marine ecology and fisheries to serve some private interest and also opposed the storage yards being set up in khazan lands.
Coal will destroy villages and displace communities they said while opposing all development meant for coal transportation and storage and hence also objected to the double tracking of the railway tracks by the South Western Railways,
Coal storage and transportation can severely polluted air for many kms radius and will cause respiratory diseases and even cancer, they said. Dredging that will be done to transport coal will destroy the rivers and sea beds, they said adding that many Goan indigenous economies including fishing will be destroyed.
The Secretaries were asked to send the resolutions to the concerned authorities including the BDO within a week to make them valid. At Colva where the objections were read out in Konkani the resolution was adopted the second time as the one at the gram sabha held on 30th July became invalid as it was not sent to the BDO.
Colva Gram Sabha also objected to making tiatrists pay GST and the secretary was asked to send a copy of the resolution to the chief minister and Director of Art and Culture.
