VASCO: Cortalim MLA Alina Saldanha on Monday directed the Mini India Project representative to open the access to bandhs and khazan lands for the Quelossim villagers.
As the Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA) officials didn’t turned up, Alina along with Mormugao Mamlatdar Satish Prabhu, other concerned government officials and representative of Mini India Project held the inspection of the project in the afternoon.
After the inspection, Alina informed the media that she won’t allow destruction of khazan lands in the village. This was the 30th inspection been conduct and finds it an unending exercise as no concrete decision is taken till now.
“The Quelossim villagers are against this project and they want to protect the biodiversity of the village,” she added.
She also mentioned that the Mini India Project issue started when the previous panchayat body had taken wrong steps by giving permission to this project. The new panchayat panel has revoked it and also Investment Promotion Board withdrew its consent.
On concluding note, Alina informed that she agrees that few villagers had gone to the court and filed Public interest litigation (PIL) with regards to this project but the project came to halt due to the strong opposing from the locals.
Later, Quelossim Biodiversity Committee Head Lopinho Xavier, who was present during the inspection, said, “Goa Foundation, an NGO, filed a PIL, WP No. 26 of 2016 in the High Court challenging the powers of the Investment Promotion Board (IPB) in principle recommendation to grant permission in Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) in the year 2016 in which the High Court passed an order due to which the government was forced to withdraw the in-principle permission recommended by the IPB in 2016 to this project. Our MLA Saldhana was a part of the government who could not do anything to withdraw the permission of the IPB.”
