Silence protest to get MLAs to speak

Over 80 activists of the SEZ Virodhi Manch (SVM) stood in silent protest at the approach road of the Mandovi Bridge. The silent protest sought to draw the attention of the MLAs to walk the talk during the Assembly sessions. Placards, posters and banners were held by the protestors.

SEZ: Unending saga

Editorial in today's oHeraldo
SEZ: Unending saga

It is the government’s continued inaction on the issue of the Special Economic Zones (SEZs) that is responsible for incidents like the one on Tuesday, when activists of the SEZ Virodhi Manch (SVM) and the Goa Bachao Abhiyan (GBA) barged into the site of the Raheja SEZ at Verna on learning that work had recommenced, forcibly stopped it, and caused the labourers at the site to flee. This would not at all have been necessary, had the government systematically probed into the SEZ mess and proceeded against the fraudsters.

In fact, it is the government’s reticence in the matter that has emboldened the Union Commerce Ministry, which seems to be unequivocally on the side of the SEZ promoters, to make outrageous and incorrect statements in the matter, and place unreasonable demands on the Goa government.

The fact is that all the SEZs have applied for land that is hugely over their real requirements. For example, why does a company that sets up its BPO units in one or two buildings in Mumbai, want 4 lakh square metres for similar units in Goa? Then, there are huge irregularities in the land allotments. These are well documented by the anti-SEZ activists through the Right to Information (RTI). They have been widely publicised through the media, both print and electronic, and never been adequately challenged, either by the SEZ promoters, the government or the Goa Industrial Development Corporation (IDC).

Simply setting up an inquiry headed by a retired High Court judge into these irregularities would have given the government all the ammunition it needed to conclusively end the controversy and justifiably cancel the land allotment. But it has resolutely refused to do so.

Why? Is it because too many functionaries belonging to the ruling party would get implicated in the resulting scam? Is it because a number of those that were willing accomplices in this massive fraud continue to occupy very high positions?

Whatever the reason, the refusal of the government is very intriguing. To start with, though it asserts that SEZs will never be allowed, the government is yet to officially denotify its SEZ policy. After the SEZ promoters approached the High Court, it withdrew the ‘Stop Work’ order it had issued on 31 December. It simultaneously cancelled the land allotments. However, these were cancelled by the IDC, but this was on the basis that SEZs were ‘against’ government policy, not because of any irregularities in allotment. Considering that the official SEZ policy is still in force, this cancellation is unlikely to survive a court challenge, just like the earlier ‘Stop Work’ order.

In the meanwhile, the Union Commerce Ministry is keeping up the pressure. It first said it had no power to denotify the notified SEZs. This is bunk. A plain perusal of the General Clauses Act will show that the power to notify embodies the power to denotify, and all that is required is due process. It has recently changed tack to say the SEZs will not be denotified till the Goa government compensates the SEZ promoters. This arrogant and partisan behaviour needs to be tackled at the highest level, but our Chief Minister is keeping mum.

The government’s deliberate inaction is obvious, and isn’t going to fool the people. To avoid further law and order problems, the government needs to look into the land allotments, serve notice on the SEZ promoters, expose the irregularities, cancel the land allotments, and take back the land, legally. That’s the only way out of this mess.

SVM accuses Rahejas of indulging in false accusations

NT NETWORK Posted on 2008-08-21
PANAJI - The SEZ Virodhi Manch has condemned the allegations made against peaceful protesters by the local officials of K Raheja Corporation Pvt Ltd and charged that it was a malicious attempt to tarnish the image of the SEZ Virodhi Manch, which has been agitating peacefully against the fraud of the SEZs in Goa. In a press note issued on Wednesday, the SVM warned the Raheja SEZ officials not to indulge in false accusations and demanded withdrawal of the cases registered with the police failing which the Manch has warned that the proactive, peaceful resistance will be intensified.

Mr Charles Fernandes, the SVM convenor said that the allegations against approximately 150 peaceful protester s who prevented the company workers from continuing work at the SEZ site at Verna on Tuesday were unfounded. He further claimed that 50 per cent of the protestors were ladies, and asserted that no damage was done to company's property or any violence against the labourers and the company staff was committed by the protestors.

It also charged that it was a deliberate attempt by the Rahejas to register false cases against innocent public to force them to withdraw from such peaceful agitations. The SVM also questioned the immediate registration of offence against peaceful protesters and the failure to register an FIR lodged by villagers against the GIDC officials and SEZ promoters till date.

The SVM also questioned how the police registered an offence against the public in a notified SEZ when they do not have jurisdiction in notified SEZs as per the SEZ Act and demanded that the government immediately issue show cause notices to all the promoters of SEZs in Goa, register the FIR filed by People's Movement Against SEZ on October 22, 2007 and set up an inquiry into the scam in the process of approvals forwarded for SEZs and also called on every MLA to walk the talk against SEZs within the deliberations and resolutions in the assembly.

The SVM said that approximately 150 villagers out of which 50 per cent were ladies had gone to protest the resumption of the construction activity in the Raheja SEZ. It alleged that statements made by Raheja officials that the workers present were only minimal maintenance workers was false as could be seen from electronic footage taken and argued that about 50 workers were found working on construction.

Reiterating that absolutely no damage was done to property or violence committed towards labourers and staff present by the protesters as witnessed by two vehicles of Vema Outpost Poilce personnel present, it warned that the people were running out of patience and were being further provoked by such complaints.
http://www.navhindtimes.com/story.php?story=2008082120

Activists storm Verna SEZ site, stop work

HERALD REPORTER
VASCO, AUG 19 – Activists of the SEZ Virodhi Manch (SVM) from Verna and Loutolim stormed into a SEZ construction site at Verna on Tuesday and stopped work there.
Goa Bachao Abhiyan Activist Pravin Sabnis, SEZ Virodhi Manch convenor Charles Fernandes, Peter Gama and Fr Eremito Rebello barged into the SEZ site, after they were informed about the ongoing work at the site. The project is being developed at Phase IV of Verna Industrial Estate, after getting respite from the High Court to resume work.

As the activists were trying to stop the work, labourers were seen running to take cover against the activists. Some activists even rushed to the makeshift office and flushed out personnel seated there. They warned them not to start any work at the site. Labourers who wanted to leave the site were stopped till the police could arrive at the site. The panic-stricken labourers claimed that they had started the work a week ago and had been brought by a contractor from Mumbai.

Addressing the activists, Pravin Sabnis of GBA said that on December 8, 2007 Chief Minister Digambar Kamat had announced that all ongoing work at the SEZs would be stopped.
“Subsequently the work at Keri and Verna SEZs were stopped and later in January, the chief minister had announced that all SEZs would be scrapped. But nothing has been done and the government is fooling the people,” he added. Commenting on the compensation to the SEZ promoters, Sabnis claimed that the SEZ promoters should instead compensate the people for destroying flora and fauna in the area.

Fr Rebello lambasted the lethargic attitude of the government towards SEZ promoters.
“The government is quick to take action when the common man illegally undertakes minor constructions. Why is it reluctant to stop this huge illegal construction,” asked Fr Rebello.
It may be recalled that SVM activities had earlier obstructed 200 workers on December 10, 2007, bringing the work to a halt.

Meanwhile, Ashok Keni, former Navy commander and security chief at the site filed a police complaint, claiming that around 70 people had trespassed into his office and had assaulted him and his colleagues, besides damaging property. Maina-Courtorim PI Dharmesh Angle said that a case against 70 unknown persons have been registered under Sections 143 (forming unlawful assembly), 323 (assault), 427 (damaging property), 447 (trespass) and 506 (2) r/w 149 IPC.
http://www.oheraldo .in/pagedetails. asp?nid=8631&cid=10

destruction by Raheja continues

Dated: 19/08//200/8
Press Release
The SEZ Virodhi Manch expresses disgust at the double standards of the government of making empty statements/promises with regard to the scrapping of SEZs from Goa. At the ground level work and full scale destruction activity is taking place by the Raheja SEZ at Verna. When the Government withdrew its Stop Work Notices issued to SEZ Promoters from the High Court on procedural lapses, it promised the citizens of Goa that fresh Show Cause Notices in accordance with the law would be issued to the Promoters of SEZs in Goa. Till date, there has not been a single Show Cause Notice issued to the promoters, on the contrary, the Government has allowed the promoters to re-start work by its inactions.
Despite several representations to de-notify the Special Economic Policy from the State, the Government of Goa has not done so, which exposes their malicious intentions.
It may be recollected that when the villagers entered the Meditab SEZ at Keri and the Raheja SEZ at Verna on 7 and 10 December 2007, the print and electronic media was witness to statements made by their liaison-officers talking of "verbal permissions given by the GIDC”.
Today, 19th August, 2008 the people from various villages after learning that the works at the Raheja SEZ at Verna had been restarted entered the site in large numbers and forced the workers to stop work and leave the site. It is deploring that time and again the people are compelled to forget their daily chores to fight for their rights while the Government repeatedly fools the people. Repeatedly it is the people who have to enter the SEZ premises and force the SEZ promoters to stop work. Till date the people have not resorted to any violence but they also should not be taken for granted. The people have made their intentions clear that they will not allow the works to go on at any costs and warn the Govt. that it will be solely responsible for the outburst of any violence in future. The SVM is surprised that now many MLA’s belonging to the ruling and opposition parties who used to sing anti-SEZ tunes have conveniently forgotten the same. The SVM now demands from all those anti SEZ MLA.’s to bring up the issue before the Assembly session in progress and demand passing of a bill scrapping the SEZ policy existing in the State. This will prove their sincerity over the issue.
The SVM calls for immediate actions by the Government that immediate Show Cause Notices be issued procedurally to all the promoters of SEZs in Goa, register the FIR filed by villagers People’s Movement Against SEZ on 22nd October 2007 instead of criminal dilly-dallying by the Goa Police and set up CBI inquiry into the scam in the process of approvals forwarded for SEZs.
The SVM warns the Government and the SEZ promoters to desist from playing with the sentiments of Goans. The peaceful protests of the SVM should not be construed as a sign of weakness. The government should not provoke the peaceful people of Goa.
Charles Fernandes
Convenor
SEZ Virodhi Manch

SEZs must Quit Goa

The SEZ Virodhi Manch
invites you to join the solidarity
at Azad Maidan, Panaji
on 9 August 2008 (Quit India Day)
from 10am-11.30 am

Kindly assemble before 9.30 am
with your banners & placards
Let's say in one voice
QUIT GOA
to the fraud of SEZs
QUIT GOA
to Irresponsible anti-people "Development"
QUIT GOA
to attacks on our land, lives and livelihoods