Dears,
It is not every day that Fr. Valerian Vaz, Director of Caritas-India and of the
Council for Social Justice and Peace, intervenes in public debates on socially
relevant issues. The last time Fr. Valerian made a telling difference was when
one tabloid tried to defame the Executive Secretary of CSJP with the assistance
of quotes leaked by an "accidental social activist".
At a public meeting held at the Se-Old Goa Village Panchayat hall [between the
Basilica of Bom Jesus and the Augustinian Tower archaeological excavation
site]at Old Goa/Velha Goa on Saturday 22 November, 2008, he said, "Let the
Government tell the people of Goa that the proposed garbage dump is at Old Goa
and then face the reaction." So far, the Government has refrained from
indicating that the Bainguinim site is actually close to the Augustinain Church
and Santa Monica Convent [where the mother of Abe Faria lived when he went to
become a priest] and other heritage structures of the World Heritage Site of
Velha Goa or Cidade de Goa, the Rome of the East, while it is in a hurry to
find a dump for the garbage from the emrging "Las Vegas of the East" in the
river Mandovi.
The whole set of the protests against the "Anaerobic Digester" at Patto Plaza
in Nova Cidade of Panjim were designed to reactivate the land acquisition at
Bainguinim which was about to lapse due to the 2-year time bar of Section 6
notification under Land Acquisition Act, 1894. A colonial Act being applied to
the colonial capital to promote neo-colonization.
It is not as if the Goa Government does not know that it owns and controls
thousands of square metres of land under Survey Numbers 40/1, 40/2 and 40/3 in
adjoining village of Chimbel [a former garbage dump area] that it wants to
convert into a Film City. It has inherited it from the colonial rulers.
The Government can make public the plans and technical details of different
kinds of Garbage Treatment Plants under its consideration in GSUDA, DMA, DoP or
DSTE. the District Planning Committees can consider which model is suitable for
their towns and which for their villages. The Gram Sabhas can choose from the
options available for village scale treatment. Some villagers have already seen
the working of the vertical Garbage treatment unit at the Codli mine of Sesa
Goa Ltd in Snaguem taluka.
Perhaps, Panaji's hotels could set up such units. Some of these hotels are
owned/managed by companies that dabble in iron ore mining.
Other hotels, owned by companies involved in real estate and construction could
divert some old cement mixers to treat biodegradable garbage with EM or
Panchagavya or other activated solutions to accelerate decomposition of
garbage. they can have in-house construction of masonary garbage tanks.
Why terrorise the only ST MLA in his Cumbarjua constituency?
Mog asundi.
Miguel
Storm brewing in Bainguinim
HERALD CORRESPONDENT
Madkaikar ups ante again
OLD GOA, NOV 22
The Old Goa Garbage Action Committee on Saturday convened a meeting at Old Goa
panchayat hall to protest the State Government’s decision to hand over the
Bainguinim site to the Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP) for garbage
disposal.
The meeting was convened to discuss various steps to stop the moves of State
Government and CCP to set up solid waste management project.
Apart from Cumbharjua MLA Pandurang Madkaikar, St Cruz MLA Victoria Fernandes,
Director of Caritas Goa Fr Valerian Vaz, Old Goa Sarpanch Janita Madkaikar, Old
Goa Deputy Sarpanch Prakash Amonkar, Carambolim Sarpanch Wilson Valladares,
over 500 people attended the meeting.
Madkaikar stated that he never thought that once again they would have to come
together to fight against the Government’s move to set up garbage disposal site
at Bainguinim.
“The movement had started two years ago, but once again we are forced to fight
against the Government,” he stated.
Madkaikar said that it was a sad thing that he and St Cruz MLA Victoria
Fernandes, being from the Congress-led Government, have to talk tough against
the chief minister since he has gone against the wishes of people.
Madkaikar said that two years ago when the issue had come up, people from
various parts of the State had raised their voices in such a way that it
reached in every corner of the State.
“When such a project is coming up at Bainguinim, one has to think that the
project is coming at Old Goa and not Bainguinim since Bainguinim is a part of
Old Goa, which is known as a holy and famous place of the world,” he stated.
“The Government is misguiding the people by taking only the name of Bainguinim
and not informing that Bainguinim is a part of Old Goa, which is very close to
important churches, school etc”, said Madkaikar.
He said that he raised the issue in the Assembly, after which a House Committee
was formed where Opposition Leader Manohar Parrikar, Chief Minister Digambar
Kamat, Nilkhant Halarnkar and Victoria Fernandes were members.
“But now it is surprising to know that when the Committee is in place, the
Government has not taken its views”, he added.
“The House Committee is superior. Even though the Committee has not given its
report, no one has the right to go ahead with the decision in handing over the
site to CCP”, said Madkaikar.
“Even the chief minister does not have the right to select a site. Till this
date, the Committee had not filed any report about any site. So the chief
minister’s decision to hand over the Bainguinim site to CCP is surprising,”
asked Madkaikar.
He alleged that the chief minister is making statements on his own and is
against the will of the Assembly laws, which the people have to oppose.
“Even after a writ petition has been filed in the High Court, it was difficult
to understand as to how the Government was going ahead with its decision”,
he added.
“The chief minister may fool me by saying that he will make me a minister today
or tomorrow, but he will not be able to fool the people of the State”, stated
Madkaikar.
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