Solidarity Against SEZs - Demand for PEZs


amka naka SEZ, amka zai PEZ

(we do not want SEZ, we want PEZ)

PEZ: rice gruel (in Konkani) PEZ= Peoples' Economic Zones


Friday, June 27, 2008

Don’t take Goans for a ride, promoters warned


HERALD REPORTER

PANJIM, JUNE 26 — SEZ Virodhi Manch on Thursday warned SEZ promoters not to take Goans for a ride by going to court to get what the people have long back rejected. Addressing a press conference today evening, Aravind Bhatikar of Nitoll Jin Trust, in a terse message asserted, “The State Government should follow proper procedures and not allow any leeway to the SEZ promoters by eating humble pie in the court.”

Not happy with the latest move to issue stop work order to some of the SEZ promoters, SVM Convenor Charles Fernandes said, “This action shows the Government is not functioning in the interests of the people. Its true intentions not to respect the genuine struggle of the people have been exposed.”

Fernandes chided further, “On one hand the Government has announced scrapping of the zones, issued stop work orders to the notified SEZs, approached the Board of Approval at Delhi for the purpose of de-notifying the notified SEZs and on the other hand the GIDC is continuing to approve construction plans of notified SEZS.” The SVM convenor showed one such copy of an approval given by GIDC dated April 15, 2008 to the press persons. “It is beyond the jurisdiction of the GIDC to grant such approvals and secondly no environment impact assessment is done before the plans are approved,” he maintained.

SVM has now decided to hold a meeting on Sunday, June 29, at the Grace Church Hall in Margao at 10 am to discuss the future course of action. “We will reveal our plan of action on this day. Today I only want to say that SEZ promoters and Government people of Goa will not everything lying down,” Bhatikar avowed. Council for Social Justice and Peace General Secretary Fr Maverick Fernandes and Peter Gama of Verna were also present at the briefing.

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