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.
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