Panjim: The youth of Goa under the banner Save Mollem have urged the Central Empowered Committee (CEC) to suggest to the Supreme Court to revoke clearances granted for linear projects passing through the protected site.
“Our first and main demand is that they should suggest to the Supreme Court that these clearances should be revoked. Our Chief Minister and Forest Minister should direct the Goa Forest Department to return these proposals back to Goa Tamnar, South Western Railways and the PWD,” said one of the members of the campaign while addressing a press conference in Panjim on Friday.
The Goa government, they said, has tried to feign ignorance about these Mollem projects as being Central projects stating that the seventh schedule of the Indian Constitution mentions forests and wildlife on the concurrent list. “So the State and Centre has equal power to take decisions on them and moreover the final decision on forest diversion lies with the State. Please take strong exception and ask them to take responsibility for environmental and forest governance,” the youth said.
The youth group has further demanded that Goa Forest Department be directed not to issue any work orders for felling of trees for the Goa Tamnar transmission line and to also stop-all work related to railway double tracking in non-forest land.
“As the CEC is a fact-finding body, we urge you to take on board the many representations sent to you, the first of which was sent by students from Goa. Further, please be rest assured, that there is no ‘public interest’ of these projects and these projects do not have our consent or future in mind,” they said.
The youth have also requested for an audience with the members of the committee, so that they can place their concerns and express anguish against these “three destructive projects.”
