[Goanet] Saligao Garbage Struggle - Saboteurs within

[Desmond da Costa]

Dear Saligaonkars,

Kudos to the team at Saligao Garbage Struggle (SGS) for the work done till date 
with regards to safeguarding the welfare of Saligaonkars and residents of 
neighboring villages by suggesting appropriate measures to the Government in 
its quest to set up a Garbage Treatment Plant on the Saligao/Pilerne/Calangute 
Plateau for the whole of North Goa.

The village Panchayat as well as the Communidade of Saligao have passed 
resolution opposing the Government's plans to set up a Garbage Treatment Plant 
or Dump Garbage on the Saligao Plateau a number of times over the last ten to 
fifteen years and more. Even the Court has given a judgement stating the 
inappropriateness of setting up the Garbage Treatment Plant on the Saligao 
Plateau and had instructed the Government to clean up the mess created by the 
illegal and haphazard dumping of all sorts of waste at the current location. 
Sad to say, the Government has ignored the directions of the Court, and is 
hell-bent on poisoning our water bodies - wells and springs, spreading the 
stink of garbage to more areas surrounding the present Garbage Dump, spreading 
diseases to our animal wealth and residents - all for what purpose, if not to 
benefit a few in power by acquiring a Garbage Treatment Plant having technology 
that has failed in India.

Sadder still is that the Attorney of Saligao Communidade, Mr. Austin da Gama, 
went on a trip to Europe organized by the Government even though the Saligao 
Communidade had passed a resolution opposing the setting up of a Garbage 
Treatment Plant on Communidade Land in Saligao, after considering the all the 
pros and cons of the Government's proposal. This trip to Europe was nothing but 
a bribe paid to ensure that the plans of the Government in setting up a totally 
inappropriate Garbage Treatment Plant are achieved by subverting the opposition 
to it from within. Now that the bribe has been given and taken, it is payback 
time. If the Attorney, Mr. Austin da Gama was convinced that the resolution 
passed by the members of the Saligao Communidade was wrong, he should have 
resigned from the position of Attorney before going on the trip to Europe 
organized by the Government or he should have taken permission of the members 
of the Communidade to do so. He by his actions past as well as present has 
indicated his intention to subvert the interests of the Communidade of Saligao 
from within. We, members of the Saligao Communidade should not stand by and let 
this pass. We should act quickly and decisively to remove Mr. Austin da Gama 
from his position as Attorney of our Communidade before it is too late.

An analogy that could explain the situation - If somebody encroaches on my 
property or plans to acquire my property for a purpose detrimental to my well 
being, I would be well within my rights to contest this, by appointing a 
lawyer. If I find out that this lawyer is eating/dining/going on trips with the 
very people causing me problems, then  I should know that in the very least my 
lawyer has a conflict of interest or  he has been bought over. Offcourse, if he 
were not convinced that I had a just case he should not have taken up my case. 
After knowing the mindset of my lawyer, I would continue with him only o my own 
detriment. The right action would be to remove him and appoint another who will 
represent my case strongly in my favor.

I exhort all Gaonkars of Saligao Communidade to attend the meeting this Sunday 
(08.12.13) and take corrective action in this matter or face the consequence of 
loosing our Communidade lands to all SHARKS PATROLLING THE BYLANES in Saligao 
and the Government.

Thanks & regards,

Desmond da Costa
Mb.: (+91) 8390653052
Email:  desmonddaco...@yahoo.com

[Goanet] Saligao - The land of Garbage, Stink, Poison and Disease

[Desmond da Costa]

My fellow Goans and Saligaonkars,

People from all walks of life and parts of the world have  been coming to Goa, 
and being so impressed by its pristine beauty, culture and people, that some 
have even made it their home. This inspite of Goans opting to leave Goa for 
greener pastures abroad and various parts of India. As a net result Goa still 
attracts more to settle here than those that leave.

This is set to change especially for the beautiful villages of Saligao, 
Calangute, Candolim and Pilerne, with the Governments going ahead to set up a 
Garbage Treatement Plant (GTP) on the Saligao Plateau. The illegal Garbage Dump 
on the Saligao Plateau which has been in use for the last 25 years has poisoned 
the water of the wells and water bodies in the surrounding villages; stinks to 
the heavens and has made life miserable to people living in the proximity of 
the Garbage Dump plus caused diseases in humans and animals brought on by 
illegal burning of garbage containing plastics and toxic wastes.

I a resident of Saligao no longer buy the agricultural produce of the village 
as all the water bodies are polluted, hence the food grown on its land is also. 
Soon others will follow suit. Now, the BJP Government is moving at Rocket Speed 
to set up this noxious Garbage Treatment Plant based on technology that has 
failed in India where-ever implemented on the Saligao Plateau, and is all set 
to convert Saligao into a village synonymous with GARBAGE AND ITS RELATED 
EFFECTS. This inspite of repeated resolutions against the Garbage Dump and 
Treatment Plant by the Communidade, Panchayat, Civil & Consumer Cell, Saligao 
Garbage Struggle and other bodies. 

If the Garbage Treatment Plant (GTP) is set up and people suffer due to this 
they will want to know  who were  the people responsible for this disaster and 
for subverting the will of the people. Let us not forget the efforts of Mr. 
Manohar Parrikar (the current CM of Goa), our own sons of Saligao - Mr. Dilip 
Parulekar (current MLA of Saligao and Tourism Minister), Mr. Austin da Gama and 
others to set up the GTP in Saligao. The two sons of Saligao went on a so 
called STUDY TOUR to check out the selected GTB. Mr. Austin da Gama did report 
his experience of the trip, which left us in the Communidade none the wiser. 

Let us all oppose the setting up of the GTP on our Saligao Plateau by showing 
up at the Gram Sabha Meeting once more, and show our opposition. Let it not be 
felt later that you did not stand up for what was good the citizens of the 
village and the people of Goa.

Thanks & regards,

Desmond da Costa

Mb.: (+91) 8390653052
Email:  desmonddaco...@yahoo.com