MARGAO
Mystery shrouds the decision of the Goa police to scuttle the cultural programme centered on Seraulim against Coal at Seraulim, on Sunday when the Colva police as well as the office of DySP, Margao had cleared the application in favour of the programme?
In fact, while the application made by a local villager Zeferino Fernandes had found favour with the Colva police and the office of the DySP, the permission was not forthcoming from the district authorities.
A glance at the letter written by the office of DySP, Margao showed that the police had issued the no objection to the organisers to consider the request of the application with conditions, by following all the guidelines in force.
Questions were raised why the district authorities withheld the permission for the cultural programme centered on coal, when the organisers were willing to abide by the conditions, including the condition to strictly maintain the social distancing norms, adhere to safety precautions for preventing Covid-19; restricting the attendance at the function to less than 100 people et al.
In his application, Zeferino had stated that the villagers of Seraulim would like to organise a cultural programme on Seraulim Church grounds, on December 17, from 6.30 pm to 8 pm during the Christmas week. “It would be a short programme for about 200 persons, seated with due social distancing and compulsory wearing of masks, strictly maintain the norms as required,” Zeferino said, that the organisers would use moderate sound system, not very loud and hence requested the authorities to use the sound system for the programme.
Questions are being raised in local circles why the authorities decided to act otherwise when the police authorities had issued the NOC for the cultural programme. Questions are further raised whether the authorities withheld the permission and later physically scuttled the programme on Sunday evening on the plea that the cultural programme would highlight the burning issue of coal, throwing up further questions whether the people can no longer lodge their protest against coal and the three linear projects.
That reports emanating from Seraulim alleging that the men-in-uniform rode roughshod on Sunday evening by detaining a person, who had come to the venue under the pretext of not wearing face mask and getting photos deleted from the cell phones, only indicates that the police had come prepared to stop the programme citing the reason there was no permission from the authorities.
