The Loliem-Polem Village Panchayat gram sabha on Sunday unanimously rejected all 13 proposals for development projects on the ecologically sensitive plateau lands of Loliem village, marking another decisive victory for villagers who have been fighting to conserve their plateaus since 2005.
Over 200 villagers attended the meeting, which considered 13 new proposals by the Comunidade including eight small-scale industries, solar power plants, GTDC wayside amenities, a Sainik School, a Comunidade building, and a cricket ground. The resolutions were proposed by Dattaprasad Prabhugaonkar and seconded by Prashant Pagi, with all members present opposing the projects.
The rejection continues a long-standing battle by Loliem residents to protect their plateau lands. In 2005, four large tourism projects triggered the Regional Plan (RP) 2011 debacle, which villagers successfully stalled. The struggle intensified with the IIT Goa proposal on Bhagwati plateau, culminating in a historic November 2016 Gram Sabha where over 1,500 villagers unanimously adopted six conservation resolutions.
Recently, villagers have also strongly opposed a proposed Film City on Bhagwati plateau. The current proposals include organizations allegedly linked to Canacona MLA Ramesh Tawadkar and Kerala Governor Rajendra Arlekar. Last week, over 1,100 villagers signed a letter demanding all plateau projects be dropped immediately. An online petition supporting conservation of plateaus in Loliem and neighbouring Poinguinim village has garnered nearly 3,000 endorsements in just a few days, indicating state-wide and national interest in the villagers' struggle.
The gram sabha observed that the 13 proposals violated previous resolutions from 2016 and 2023, and were against public interest and purely for private interests of promoters. Members noted that none offered even the slightest benefit to local residents and instead threatened their very survival. The proceedings were described as a “walk-over” due to unified opposition despite some Comunidade members being present. The eight industrial proposals by a company allegedly owned by local MLA Tawadkar were criticized as a “land grab,” particularly when the Canacona Industrial Estate reportedly has over 90 percent of its units closed or unproductive.
The solar power plant proposal by a Mumbai-based company was deemed an attempt to privatise common village lands. The GTDC tourism proposal was criticised based on the corporation’s track record of grabbing prime lands for private profit. Villagers also rejected the Comunidade’s own building proposal as violating the organisation's duty to protect lands for posterity rather than destroy them for short-term gains. The cricket ground proposal was opposed as being against environmental conservation, with members noting that while residents have always used plateau lands for sports, constructing stadiums or fences would be against public interest.
Villagers noted that Loliem is included in the Western Ghats Ecologically Sensitive Area draft notification, with 311 residents having written to retain this designation.
As per the resolutions, the village panchayat will write to the Chief Minister, relevant ministers, and project proponents demanding withdrawal of proposals. The meeting has also resolved to employ all legal means, including Supreme Court interventions, if necessary, to protect the plateau lands.