Don't 'double-track', you’ll be watched in the Assembly!

| JANUARY 24, 2021, 11:03 PM IST


The State government, political leaders, members of Wildlife Board, social activists and NGOs pleaded their cases before Supreme Court-appointed Central Empowered Committee (CEC) during their brief visits to projects sites at Mollem and MPT. While the government pressed the urgent need for three linear projects for the State raising its pitch of development, others impressed upon the team on how the projects would bring about colossal environmental destruction and affect lives of people of the State. The ball is now in the Supreme Court as stakeholders await the outcome of a decision with bated breath.

The questions that will be on everyone's mind is whether CEC is convinced that these projects are detrimental to the State. Will it go with the government's development argument? Will it consider the voices of collective opposition, or will it settle for an elusive middle path? Time will tell.

While the people Goa keep their fingers crossed till the CEC decision, the attention shifts towards the 5-day Legislative Assembly session which gets underway from Monday. Against the bitter reality that the collective might of the Opposition in the House may still be not enough to force the government into reversing its decision, all eyes will be on legislators who took up cudgels against double-tracking and coal transportation.

Cortalim constituency MLA Alina Saldanha, and Cuncolim MLA Clafasio Dias have been the most vocal on the ground. The question is will they carry this energy to the Legislative Assembly? Will the Nuvem MLA Wilfred D'Sa also cut across party lines to take up the cause of those villagers affected from his constituency? Will Calangute MLA Michael Lobo and Filipe Neri Rodrigues, who recently vowed to go to any extent for the sake of people and showed rare willingness to take any decision for the sake of people, have courage to respond likewise to the governor's address?

It's time for representatives of people who jumped ship and joined the BJP in the name of development to speak their people's mind. The voices of the people have to reverberate within the hallowed precincts of the legislative assembly, and it’s time for those who have conveniently chosen the middle path to stand up and speak up. All those fiery speeches made at rallies would mean nothing if the dissent is not carried forward to the floor of the House.

Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has given an assurance that his government is going to cap coal handling at MPT. With double-track work chugging along at a brisk pace and almost nearing completion, the government would try to douse opposition fires with the consolation of a reduced coal handling at MPT. The question is, are MLAs going to ask the government on the modalities of controlling the port's cargo? Will some resolution be passed in this session at least putting on record that Goa is opposed to enhanced coal transportation? Or is this session also going to be a cake-walk for the ruling dispensation?


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