NO to SEZ .... YES to PEZ: SVM stops SEZ scam at Verna

On Monday, 10 December 2007, a team of SEZ Virodhi Manch (SVM) went to check on reports by locals that work was in progress on Sunday night, in clear contravention of the Chief minister's directive for stopping work in the Verna SEZs.

We were shocked to see the hill being cut.
We demanded that the work be immediately stopped and that all machinery and workers be moved out of the fraudulent SEZ (it is YET to be notified, BUT the work is in full swing).
The PRINT and ELECTRONIC MEDIA and over 200 activists of the SVM from Verna, Loutolim, Keri, Sancaole, Betul and elsewhere gathered at the site and were witness to the following facts:

* Raheja's liaison man, Rahul Sardesai confirmed that they had ONLY VERBAL PERMISSIONS from GIDC to carry out developmental work.

* Four bore wells have been illegally sunk and water from one was criminally overflowing on to ground when we reached there

*Over 500 m2 of construction (two slabs) has been already done AGAIN WITHOUT ANY WRITTEN PERMISSION from any agency.

*Over 400 workers were staying in most appalling conditions and they too were complaining of not being paid.

*The hill has been indiscriminately cut for the real estate plans of the Raheja's

The entire protest was peaceful and despite PI Raposo provocations.
The Government needs to note that uptill NOW the work has been stopped by the KERI & VERNA SEZ s by the people through peaceful solidarity.
But the indignation is increasing.

In the evening, GAKUVED (Federation of Gawda Kunbi Velip Dhangar) held a public meeting at Quepem to commemorate Human Rights day.
Sons-and-daughters-of-the-soil gathered from principally Rivona and Quepem and were joined by activists from all over Goa to express their outrage at the trampling of human rights by those out to buy and abuse Goa.
Speaker after speaker vented the anger at the excesses of illegal mining facilitated by Government agencies that are refusing to impose the laws of the land.

Goans are being pushed to the wall by the abusive economic interests who are causing irreparable damage to the environment and the ethos of Goa.
And the Government is crawling when asked to bend by the vested interests.
It needs a wake-up call to be told that
ENOUGH IS ENOUGH