MARGAO: The Village Groups of Goa (VGG) has condemned the government for not taking the residents of Quitol into confidence regarding the DefExpo and for lacking transparency in its dealings with the people.
“The Chief Minister recently stated that there are common agitators. We want the CM to recollect that because of such common agitators, the BJP gained power in Goa and he is occupying the chair,” said
Zarina Da Cunha, VGG president.
She demanded that the DefExpo not be made a prestige issue and that the government shift the project to an area occupied by Defence Forces.
“If not, such adamancy will encourage Goans to see that the BJP meets the same fate as the Congress Government, which had trampled upon people’s aspirations,” said Zarina.
She added, “Using the urgency clause, the Quitol land was acquired for a food park in 2006 and not used for so long, thus defeating the purpose of the urgency clause of execution and acquisition. If the land was not needed, the government should have returned the land to the owners, who would have been able to decide
its use.”
