Team Herald
PANJIM: Usgao villagers have opposed the proposed expansion of the MRF unit and challenged the decision of the Investment Promotion Board (IPB) and the local village panchayat in the High Court of Bombay at Goa through a PIL.
The High Court (Vacation Judge) issued a notice on the PIL filed by the Dhatwada Usgaon Citizens Forum and the Goa Foundation challenging the expansion proposals of the MRF factory at Dhatwada.
The High Court has fixed the matter for hearing on stay on May 23. The petitioners have sought a restraint against any development work and construction of additional factory at the site.
The petitioners have challenged the decision of the IPB and the panchayat of Usgao Gangem on the grounds that these are contrary to three resolutions passed by the gram sabha of the village opposing any expansion of the factory.
The petitioners have submitted that the existing factory has caused enormous problems to people in the village in terms of air pollution. Large numbers of trucks are haphazardly parked in the village settlement areas creating obstruction and nuisance as the factory does not have parking. The petitioners submitted that MRF has carried out mass slaughter of over 1000 coconut trees in a plot adjoining Khandepar river.
They have also complained that MRF has been allowed to extract mineral ore found on the property without a valid lease under Sec 41 of the MMDR Act (approximately 25,000 tonnes).
Villagers have objected to the grant of thousands of litres of water for the expansion when there is already a shortage of water to existing users. They have stated that WRD has not yet granted permission for withdrawal of such a huge quantity of water from the Khandepar river and it is against public interest as natural resources cannot be given away in this manner.
