VASCO: Goencho Ekvott has expressed its anguish over Power Minister Nilesh Cabral’s recent statement supporting Tamnar and trying to find fault in the recommendations of the Supreme Court-appointed Central Empowered Committee (CEC).
GE said, by his unwarranted statements, the minister has belittled the status of the highly-qualified members of the CEC, more so when Cabral is also the Minister for Environment, a ministry that he has miserably failed to protect.
In its press statement, GE said, “Chief Minister Pramod Sawant categorically stated on the floor of the House that the administration is obliged to implement CEC recommendations. Senior Electrical Officers from his department are foresighted regarding benefits of Tamnar but lacked similar approach in laying underground HV/LV cables especially along the coastal villages prone to cyclonic winds resulting in disruption of the local area network which the Goa Electricity Department is yet to restore in most villages across Goa.”
GE Convenor Creson Antao said, “We would like to remind our dear Minister for Power that his party was in ruling Goa for the past over eight (8) years in the last decade and he should come up with data about the underground HT/LT power cables installed constituency wise in kilometres. When the ruling dispensation’s priorities are way out from the basic public benefits, such grossly wrong policy like the Tamnar Transmission Lines and misutilisation of funds comes to fore when such natural calamity occurs.”
GE Joint Secretary Olencio Simoes said, “Cabral should have been the first person in Goa to defend the destruction planned via Western Ghats through the Tamnar projects as he is the Environment Minister but rather protecting the world UNESCO heritage site he is batting for destruction of our forests.”
On Goa Statehood Day, Goencho Ekvott and its various supporting organisations have renewed their commitment to the State and Goans to safeguard the people’s interests and the State’s rich flora and fauna.
