Colva meet renews demand for scrapping SEZ policy

BY HERALD REPORTER
Serves deadline for disbanding GIDC

MARGAO, JULY 6 – Sending a message loud and clear to the government that the people will not keep quiet any longer, the SEZ Virodhi Manch has renewed its demand for the scrapping of the SEZ policy and served a deadline of July 31 to disband Goa Industrial Development Corporation (GIDC) and initiation of time-bound inquiry through the Central Bureau of Investigations. At an impressive meeting held at the Colva Church hall on Sunday morning, the Manch demanded suspension of all officials involved in approving of the plan subsequent to government’s order to scrap all notified SEZs.

A resolution was also adopted demanding re-amendment of the Industrial policy by de-notifying the notified areas and bringing back the jurisdiction of industrial areas under the authority of the village panchayats. The meeting asked the government to direct Water Resources Department to cap all bore wells in all industrial areas in Goa.

On the question of compensation of the SEZ promoters by the government, the meeting unanimously resolved that the promoters be penalized for permanently damaging the ecology of the villages, demanding payment of compensation to the respective affected villages. A resolution was adopted to suspend top police officials, who are still refusing to register the criminal complaint filed by the villagers on October 22, 2007

Various speakers exposed the sins of omission and commission by the government authorities in the fraudulent allotment of land to the SEZ promoters and the sloppy handling of the matter by the government.

In his address, Convenor for the Council for Social Justice and Peace, Fr Maverick Fernandes came down heavily on the government for its ambivalent stand on the Special Economic Zones and for playing with the sentiments of the Goans. He said though the government had on New Year’s eve taken a clear-cut that no SEZs would be allowed in Goa, he lamented that the government is coming up with many projects in the name of development. Fr Fernandes was also critical of the opposition for not take up the fight against SEZs seriously.

In his address, social activist, Dr Francisco Colaco charged the Goa government taking the people for granted and is not taking the issue seriously. He warned that the people will not keep quite if the government does not come out clean and scrap the SEZs.

Goa Bachao Abhiyan activist Pravin Sabnis said the SEZs will spell doom for Goa and questioned the government for not scrapping the SEZ policy. Calling upon the people to be vigilant, he said the government is trying to manipulate projects in the name of development without taking the interests of locals into account.

The meeting was attended by villagers from Kerim, Betul, Quitol, Verna, Loutolim, Nagoa, Sancoale, Cortalim, who expressed their full support to the ongoing movement against SEZs.)