Vasco cops disrupt meeting on Chicalim mega project HERALD REPORTER VASCO, NOV 8
Vasco police on Sunday disrupted an awareness meeting convened by Goa Bachao Abhiyan in association with Chicalim Villagers Action Committee (CVAC) and Concerned Residents of Mormugao (CRM) to expose the illegalities of the proposed mega project in Chicalim. After a group of people from Chicalim led by former Chicalim sarpanch objected to the meeting to avoid any trouble at the meeting venue, Vasco police disrupted the meeting midway at Holy Cross Chapel, Matvem-Dabolim. The alleged nexus between the Chicalim panchayat and the real estate developer in the controversial mega project has forced the three bodies to agitate against the project to revoke the permission granted by the concerned authorities. When two speakers of CVAC finished their speeches, a group from Chicalim led by former Chicalim sarpanch created a commotion and demanded that few villagers who were seated on the dais should not be allowed to speak. However, sensing that it could lead to law and order problem, police disrupted the meeting, as few villagers complained that the organizers did not obtained permission from the chapel authority to organize the meeting. "We had submitted a letter to the police informing about the meeting. Besides, we had an oral permission from the chapel authority to organize the meeting, but due to few objections, police disrupted the meeting," alleged Edwin Mascarenhas. GBA Secretary Sabina Martins said: "GBA office bearers Arvind Bhatikar, Praveen Sabnis and other speakers had come to create awareness and bring some hidden facts of the proposed mega project before the villagers, but before these speakers could speak the meeting was disrupted." However, Vasco PI Prabhudesai said since few villagers had a problem with the meeting and to avoid any law and order problem, they had to ask the organizers to stop the meeting. "I have issued summons to Mascarenhas to produce the permission obtained by him to organize the meeting," said PI Prabhudesai. Villagers, who created commotion, claimed that since GBA and other bodies did not obtained permission, they asked the police to disrupt the meeting. "Other then Chicalim villagers', no one has the right to take their cause as villagers are capable of fighting such issues," they said. http://oheraldo.in/pagedetails.asp?nid=29658&cid=26
