PANJIM: The Goa Bhachao Abhiyan (GBA) will hold a public meeting at N D Naik hall (Adarsh High School), Margao, on Thursday, April 25, to highlight the widespread land conversions being carried out across the State.
Addressing a press conference, GBA Convenor Sabina Martins said, “Maximum number of land conversions have taken place at Old Goa. The first village level meeting was organised at Old Goa and we told the people that the situation was dangerous. The line changes are happening at a very fast pace. Before Lok Sabha election dates were announced, eight lakh square metres of land were converted and the same was done prior to that too. We also found out that land conversions had taken place at Nuvem and hence decided to hold the meeting at Margao.”
“The GBA will visit villages and tell the people what is going on. We held meetings in Utorda, Navelim, Cortalim, Tilamol and Margao and the response from the people was very good. However, the villagers said that they require more information and therefore, we decided to hold the programme at Margao to share data with them,” Martins said.
“We are going with all the evidence to all the departments of what has been done because there is a law and how the law has been violated. How the officers have reported and how they have allowed the illegal conversion, specially in eco-sensitive zones,” Martins stated and accused the State government of trying to prevent Goa Bachao Abhiyan from holding the event at Lohia Maidan.
“We had decided to hold a public meeting at Lohia Maidan but the government stated that permission could not be grated because urgent work was required to be undertaken there. Recently maintenance work was carried out at the Lohia Maidan and it was handed over to the MMC and when we had asked permission for holding the event, then there was no maintenance work going on but suddenly we were told that permission could not bebe granted,” Martins said.
The GBA convenor said civil society should also be given space to express their views the way political parties have been given space and platform to do so.
“Political parties get electoral bonds and they can hold public meetings wherever they want. But what about people? Should they not be given space to express their views?,” Martins asked.
