An impressive gathering of villagers, well meaning citizens ofvillagers of Cavelossim, Carmona, Orlim, Varca, Benaulim, Colva, Betalbatim, Majorda and other villages bordering these areas attended the solidarity meet held today 12 May, 2008 from 5 .00 p.m to 8.00 p.m at the Dando Grounds at Benaulim Salcete, to warn the Government to desist from hobnobbing with real estate agents to promote mega projects in the villages of Goa.
Fr Maverick Fernandes , Executive Secretary of the Council for Social Justice and Peace [CSJP] stated that the will of the people will prevail. Whether it was the Keri movement, the SEZ, the casino at Cavelossim, the Regional Plan 2011 and now the mega projects cannot be permitted if the people decide so. The implementation of the Village Development Plan as enshrined in the 73rd Constitutional amendment is of vital importance and the deliberations at the Gram Sabhas was a message to the Government that it reflects the will of the people. He stated that a plan for such a people participative action was proposed to the Government but there was no response. He said the Regional Plan has no meaning without a village development plan. Goans need houses affordable in the range of five to six lacs with additional hike as and when price of steel cement brick and allied material inflates but not at suicidal costs of twenty five to a crore.
Pravin Sabnis of the Goa Bachao Abhiyan cautioned the people that the political establishment was hand in glove with the realtors and also the mining lobby. This was clear the Chief Minister himself is involved in the real estate business and holds the mining portfolios.
Ramesh Gauns a teacher from Bicholim and an activist in the mining talukas fighting against the ills of mining that threatens to ruin these talukas in the Novas Conquestas also cautioned that the same fate that befell the people of these mining areas would befall the coastal areas with the mega projects which are all designed for investments and will be beyond the reach of the common man.. The "Go Goa" slogan of the Government litterallymeant that Goa should disintegrate making way for a Mumbai, Delhi or Bihar inplace of Goa.
Miguel Braganza elucidated the events in the mining areas of Colamb in Sanguem where local women who were arrested by the police and locked up for a day but came back undaunted and registered their protest de novo and succeeded in stopping the trucks carrying ores [through a road made in the forest] for well over a fortnight. This showed that if one is determined none can challenge their might. Mr Braganza complimented the people of Salcete for their role in the historic Opinion Poll in 1967 the Language agitation in 1987 and the Regional Plan in 2007. [He said that the people should ask their Village Panchayats to constitute the Ward Development Committees to prepare the Local Development Plans for each ward and the whole village. The WDC process was already notified on 13 March, 2008 in the Official Gazette of Goa, he said.]
Serafino Antao an activist from Carmona [Goa Hit Rakhan Manch] elaborated the role of mega projects. He stated that these projects are pre-determined not according to the choice of the buyer but according to the developer. They are sold as an investment for rupees twenty lacs to to sevently lacs well beyond the reach of Goans. The apartments are alloted community based for Sikhs Moslems Biharis Maharastrians each in separate wings He advised Goans to be cautious for this will reduce us to a minority.
Lincoln Fernandes from Chandor who had earlier prepared a visiondocument for the people of Chandor village speaking to this writer stated thatthe plan would now be whetted to give it a force for implementation . He agreed to the suggestion of this writer that the plan should be written inKonkani (Roman script) for the understanding of all the people.
Rama Velip of GAKUVED a tribal group active in the belt of Sattari Sanguem and Canacona spoke of the ills of mining and given the Chineseboom rampant mining has destroyed all the water bodies and caused pollution. The incentives given to opposing villagers is in cash or kind, trucks totransport ore
Sabina Martins a social activist [of Bailancho Saad] said that the Government was actually promoting SEX tourism not family tourism. The result is that 5 casinos are granted licences on land on river and others will follow suit. Rent aroom and apartments in mega projects which are usually unoccupied are usedfor prostitution and drug trade , these being the components of sextourism.
Others who spoke or were seated on the dais were Cassiano Furtado, Rosario Fernandes, Ms Ida Coutinho, Arnaldo Rodrigues, Antonio D'Silva, Alvito Fernandes, Kim Miranda Lincoln Fernandes. Tio Fernandes, Ciriaco Barretto .
Ms Geraldina Fernandes the Chairperson of the Benaulim Citizen Action Committee complimented the audio visual and print media for their extensive coverage of the peoples movement and hoped that the unity of the people will result in saving Goa from treacherous hands. Roses were offered to each of the news men as a token of appreciation of their co-operation.
The following resolution was read out and passed unanimously:
This solidarity meet of the villagers of Cavelossim, Carmona, Orlim, Varca, Benaulim, Colva ,Betalbatim, Majorda and elsewhere gathered here underthe banner of "Ganv Ghor Rakhonn Manch" resolves that:
a) all proposals of communities and mega projects must be scrutinisedand studied by the Gram Sabha
b) the VP and all government agencies must facilitate the process of creating need based village development plans with the activeinvolvement of the villagers
c) the basic needs of water electricity and other needs of affordable housing be addressed on an urgent and priority basis.
d) all new building projects should have mandatory provisions for rain water harvesting, garbage management, sewage treatment plants, plantingtrees etc;
e) we will strive to connect to all village movements and work togetherto secure our right as enshrined in the 73rd amendment of the Constitution
f) the regional plan should be created on basis of the villagedevelopment plans, till such time no mega projects should be permitted.
This resolution will be sent for signature in all the coastal villagesin the Salcete belt and forwarded to the Government.sidelights
a) When this writer went around the venue it appeared that many representatives of the hotel lobby and the developers were present at the venue
b) some non goans too were nervous of the impending events
c) one Sindhi industrialist who had invested in an apartment last Marchwas apprehensive that if villagers resent out presence it will be difficult for them to live in a congenial atmosphere
d) the police force was present in a sizable number and they expected the organisers of the meet to wind up by 8.00 p.m., which they did.
e) a number of people were blaming the landlords most of whom live in Margao who were responsible for selling large tracts of land tooutsiders though some of them were seen amidst the crowd.
f) one villager expressed shock that projects are planned higher than coconut trees i.e approx 9 metres and above . The apartment owners desire a birds view of the sea paddy fields etc he remarked.
g) several panch members were also seen in corners far from public gazefor fear of earning the wrath ot the people
h) six hundred signatures were collected on books circulated at thevenue.
from the Dando Benaulim grounds [Words in brackets added by Miguel Braganza]
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