Goa Foundation is funded by some non Indian company. Such kinds of international elements through NGOs like GF are trying to disturb the peace, harmony and development of the State
Nilesh Cabral,
BJP MLA
MLA Curchorem, MD GTDC
Herald: Why is it that the BJP-government is targeting NGos to stall development? Goa Foundation is your favorite
Cabral: One has to understand that Goa is a very small state and with limited land resources available, we have to create an infrastructure and developmental work for its growth. Several projects create employment opportunities. But the so called NGOs in the name of environment go to the National Green Tribunal or high court halting developmental work. This is not right. They should approach the government with a solution if they find something wrong. As far as Goa Foundation’s Claude (Alvares) is concerned, he himself in the name of the environment, has taken away the livelihoods of over one lakh people by halting mining for the last four years. If this was not enough, even after the government wanted to resume iron ore operations taking all necessary measures, Claude again has some problem.
Herald: What you feel could be his problem?
Cabral: He wants to blackmail mining lobbies. This is the reason why GF targets selective mining companies and not all. GF is funded by some non Indian company. Such kinds of international elements through NGOs like GF are trying to disturb the peace, harmony and development of the State and nation as a whole. Claude has issues with every project may it be solid waste management plant or a bridge, or tourism project or mining. He just has problem but has no solutions to them. If you have no solution, then that cannot be called a problem. Running to the judiciary every time is not a solution. The State need to progress and the government alone cannot make it develop.
Herald: How can an NGO fighting for the environment disturb the peace and harmony?
Cabral: It’s very common. No development means no job creation. This will lead to a brain-drain situation. People will go out of Goa or India in search of jobs. Who will be left in the State are migrants with all Goans moving out of the State for jobs and better facilities. This is the ultimate aim of these NGOs like GF. They are not fighting for the environment but are against the progress of the State and nation by large.
Herald: The Goa Foundation has clearly said on occasions that that it is aware from where the funding for the mining MLA’s comes from
Cabral: I openly challenge Claude (Alvares) to prove the allegation levied. Show the proof and if not, then he should accept that he is lying. I throw an open challenge to Claude to have a debate with me in an open forum and prove me guilty.
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NGO’s will not let politicians treat politics as private business
I am willing to stand in Azad Maidan in public and give photo copies of all the Goa Foundation’s revenue and expenditure statements to anyone who wants them. In return, after I do this, I want to inspect the income and expenditures of all the MLAs of the Assembly, especially the mining MLAs, because we have quite some information about their funding
Claude Alvares,
Director, Goa Foundation
Herald: The Union Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, as well as local ruling politicians have been targeting NGOs for halting developmental projects. How do you react to it?
Claude Alvares: About “halting” projects, well, if they are contrary to the laws of the land or if they have not obtained the required approvals, or if they have been approved in haste or through manipulations and without proper mandatory safeguards, then it is right that they are halted and re-considered because in the end it is the people in the area who have to bear the consequences for the rest of their lives and not the ruling politicians who come and go. In contrast, NGOs are criticised not because they are corrupt (the charge has never been made). The reason why NGOs challenge projects is because there is invariably a lot of corruption involved in their approval. Examples: Saligao garbage plant started construction without a public hearing and without environment clearance. Mandovi bridge III had no CRZ clearance. Tiracol bridge had no forest clearance and is in violation of the CRZ notification, therefore it is halted. If NGOs were wrong, they would have been thrown out of court. In the Mandovi bridge case, the NGT asked to pay the GCZMA to pay the Goa Foundation Rs.1 lakh in costs.
Herald: Without naming Goa Foundation, it is on many occasion charged for trying to stall development in the name of environment.
Alvares: I object to the use of your words, “in the name of environment”. The environment is what we have: good air, good water, fertile fields, forests, wildlife. Development is an option. It is the law of the land that development must not adversely affect the environment, so if environmental safeguards are not adhered to, it is our duty to draw this to the attention of the government, and when that fails, the courts or the NGT.
Where have NGOs been able to stall development? Take the Mandovi III bridge again. The very application we filed before the NGT states quite clearly that we are not asking for the demolition of the bridge because public money has been spent on the work done so far. We said the bridge was being constructed without adequate environment safeguards and required destruction of mangrove areas for which permission cannot be given. The NGT, after several days of hearing, concluded that we were right, that the bridge did not have the necessary CRZ clearance. Secondly, has anyone fought the new Zuari bridge? Has anyone opposed the new plastic processing plant at Pednem or the road widening between Ribandar and Old Goa?
Herald: Questions are constantly raised as to who funds Goa Foundation and this needs to be investigated. Are you open to such an investigation?
Alvares: The Government knows the annual funding of the Goa Foundation because these records are submitted every year to the Registrar of Societies. Any individual who wants to know about our funding can also visit the Registrar of Societies for the details. But if there is still need, I am willing to stand in the Azad Maidan in public and give photo copies of all the Goa Foundation’s revenue and expenditure statements to anyone who wants them. In return, after I do this, I want to inspect the income and expenditures of all the MLAs of the Assembly, especially the mining MLAs, because we have quite some information about their funding which has come to us. The constitution allows us a place to function, to voice our opinions and to take actions given in the law if we find that things are not being done as they should be done. In other countries, more than two-thirds of the people who rule us in India today would be in jail. However, here they walk about with swollen heads, fancy cars, because we allow them to treat politics as a private business. One day we Indians will change all that that is why we NGOs and activists work the way they do. If politicians do not like what we do, they can go fly a kite.
