Team Herald
Canacona: Over 400 residents of Loliem-Polem village Panchayat were an enraged lot on Sunday. They had braved the heavy downpour and had gathered at the Panchayat Hall to attend the extra ordinary gram sabha meeting convened to discuss the proposal to allot Bhagwati plateau communidade land for setting up IIT Goa’s permanent campus. However, after they reached the spot, they learnt that the authorities had decided to stay the gram sabha meeting.
The irked locals were shocked to learn that they were not even allowed to discuss an issue that would change their lives permanently.
A gram sabha member Ajay pointed out that the resolutions were anyway subject to the scrutiny by the Director of Panchayats (DoP), so what was the need to deny the citizens their constitutional right and duty to participate in the deliberations.
Local residents, including some elected representatives from the taluka, wanted to know if democracy and the Constitution of India were dead in the state of Goa, or whether the country was under foreign rule again.
Reacting sharply to a circular issued by the Loliem Panchayat cancelling the special gram sabha on Sunday after citing DoPs stay order, residents claimed it was a heinously devised plan by people with vested interest against the wishes of the people said Dennis Fernandes, president of Citizen committee Loliem.
He further said the Director of Panchayat was so quick to give an order that too on the last day of the week!
The citizens pointed out that rather than helping the Panchayat perform its constitutional duty, the DoP was trying his best to suppress and degrade the institutions he is employed to serve.
“The people declared unanimously to exercise their constitutional rights, to ensure justice and equality for their future generations through sustainable development of the village and conservation of its food and water security, added Fernandes.
“We are on the right track…today’s stay on the gram sabha proves that people of Loliem are opposing the project on Bhagwati Plateau. Loliemkars are not cowards and that they will fight unitedly no matter what happens,” added Fernandes.
Reacting to the moves by those in favour of the project to get a stay order on the gram sabha, most of the speakers opined that “the fear in the minds made them rush to get such a stay and criticised the attempts to try and choke their voices and emphasised that their voices would only get louder.”
Later, they staged a protest rally from Poinginium bridge to Loliem Panchayat shouting slogans against those who were supporting the project for their alleged selfish gains and pointed out that those in favour are staying permanently outside Canacona taluka and only come here during elections.
On the occasion, former minister Isidore Fernandes said he was always with the people and wanted the government to reverse its decision on the IIT project. Isidore also had an argument with the Loliem-Polem secretary for not furnishing the stay order on time and hence harassing people.
At the end, it was unanimously decided that they will strongly oppose the proposed IIT at the Bhagawati Plateau and its surrounding areas in Loliem village, Canacona and they demanded that the proposal be scrapped soon, failing which they will be forced to start an agitation to save their village.
Misuse of power by
Comunidade Officials
The Citizens’ Committee of Loliem alleged that the officials of the Comunidade of Loliem have gravely misused their position and powers by failing to consult the Gaonkars of Loliem, who are the original and indigenous inhabitants of the village, and by taking decision to allow the land at Bhagwati Platuea and its surrounding area to be used for the IIT Campus without any power to do so. They criticized both brothers — Loliem Sarpanch Bhushan P Gaonkar and Loliem Comunidade Attorney Darshan P Gaonkar — for failing to take the local bodies into confidence. They pointed out that it is the duty of the office-bearers to protect the land for the future generation and not to sell it for any selfish gains.
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‘Efforts being made to divide
people along religious lines’
At the public meeting, locals, panchas and the citizens’ committee strongly condemned the statements made to the media by those in favour of the IIT project. Panchas Rajesh Naik and Santan Da Costa said the press note issued by Darshan Gaonkar, Mohandas Lolienkar and Prashant Naik is false. Members of the Citizens’ Comittee of Loliem said efforts were being made to divide the village along communal lines by few people. They said that the colleges and schools run by Diocesan Society give education to all Goans irrespective of religious background. They countered that the IIT proposed at Bhagwati plateau does not come even close to one percent usefulness to Canacona people.
