GOANS FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT PRESS NOTE
GOANS FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT strongly condemns TCP Minister Francis
D’Souza’s shocking statement that “Zones marked as Investment Promotion zones
by the Investment Promotion Board will have to be respected”. GFSD pointed out
that the very constitution of this unwarranted, deviously conceived and
draconian IPB is akin to a declaration of all out war on the ecology and the
people of Goa by its own government. How can the TCP Minister justify and
accept the concept of the IPB, which equips its other departments with powers
to over ride and destroy the very essence and concept of the Regional Plan?
GFSD said that that the TCP Minister must surely be aware that all activities
and projects must conform and comply with the scientific planning and
guidelines imposed by a well studied Regional Plan based on sound data
collection and analysis. Therefore, it defies all logic, reasoning,
comprehension and norms of legality when the Regional Plan is compelled to fit
into the IPB instead of the other way around, solely to fulfil the interests of
corporates and favoured industrialists, regardless of the fragility of the zone
and the potential destructive impact on Goa’s people, traditional communities,
ecology and long term food and water security. How is this very unacceptably ad
hoc process different from the one followed at the time of the contentious and
outrightly rejected Regional Plan presided over by Babush Monseratte as TCP
Minister? Why is the Government not accepting the factual reality that the
State is made up of agricultural, fishing, tribal, tenant and various other
traditional communities who are also sons and daughters of Goa and therefore
legitimate stakeholders in the Regional Plan. Their interests also must be
safeguarded and protected instead of being sacrificed at the altar of greed and
vested interests. Why is this government focusing so strongly upon giving
legality and sanction of law to crass and unjustifiable illegalities in all
spheres of its governance?
By now, it is absolutely clear that the IPB is a total sell out of Goan land by
the State Government with a purpose to provide backdoor entry to vested
interests and legitimise their transgressions at the cost of the people of Goa
and their community resources. Ever since it was constituted in October 2014,
the IPB has granted in principle approval to 72 projects and is functioning
like a Special Purpose Vehicle especially created with the aim of clearing
projects, many of which fall in eco sensitive zones.
While Hideaway Hospitality, proposed by a close relative of the Defence
Minister received rapid clearance to set up on an eco sensitive notified zone
in Sanguem, the controversial red category Vani Agro alcohol project, again
with alleged connections to a ruling party MLA, received clearance in just one
week on land that is clearly not meant for industrial use in either of the
Regional Plans. In addition, the IPB has ploughed ahead with clearing two
marina projects and a host of other projects without even the slightest
pretence at any study on the effect of these projects on the ecology and
occupations of traditional communities. In fact, the Governments hostile
attitude towards traditional communities can be well assessed from its
treatment of Ravindra Velip from the mining belt and the traditional
Ramponkars, who had gathered to highlight their issues in Panjim recently.
A State Government has a fundamental duty to protect the interests of its land
and its people. The government’s cavalier and callous attitude towards the land
resources of Goa can be seen yet again in its easy accession to the demand for
5 acres of land at the proposed contentious Mopa Airport project by the
Navy.Since 1961, this arm of the Defence forces has abrogated unto itself and
maintained total control over Dabolim Airport, carving out over the years a
very pleasant playground for itself with football and golf courses etc. at the
cost of Goan people and their community resources. Why does the Navy need more
land at Mopa, especially when the present Defence Minister himself is on record
to say that the “Defence is not interested in acquiring land in Goa even if
given free” as recently as four months ago!
GFSD said that the Government should understand that it has been elected as
caretaker of Goa and not as Dalal. Goa is not up for grabs. As such the people
of Goa have a legitimate right to demand policies that reflect concern for the
interests of all sections of Goans as well as the ecology and environment that
is so essential to sustain the quality of life for this generation and the ones
to come instead of being compelled to witness the rampant and unabashed sell
out of our precious, limited land and other essential natural resources.
Ramkrishna Jalmi Rony Dias
Eremito Rebelo Siddarth Karapurkar
