the goan I network
CANACONA
Speaking at the largely attended Loliem-Polem villagers’ meeting on Sunday, environmentalist Ramesh Gawas said: “More IITs in the country is the brain child of former HRD union minister, who was sacked. Since she was sacked, her decisions to start so many IITs in the country should also be scrapped. The country does not need so many IITs,” stated Gawas.
“If a plateau like Bhagwati Plateau, which is a catchment area for groundwater, gets contaminated on account of the project, people will have no other option but to migrate elsewhere. It would be better if the government stops anti-people development,” added Gawas.
Another speaker Sidharth Karapurkar said: “IIT is a showpiece for a wider hidden agenda. Process is already underway for making provisions for at least three five-starred hotels in Loliem-Polem village.” He displayed few papers reportedly obtained under RTI.
Fr Simon Fernandes asked the government to leave to the people and residents to decide how their village should be. “Koso Ascho Mozo Ghanv Tharaitolo Anv! Tuka Naka Tor Tum Mar Dhanv (I will decide how my village should be, if you don’t want the way we want it you go away.)
Former ZP Daya Pagui blamed the Loliem-Polem sarpanch for keeping the villagers in the dark over the IIT and disallowing gram sabha members from discussing the issue. “Now six of his panchas have demanded a special gram sabha. We are still waiting to see when the sarpanch will convene it. It is now for these six panchas, if they are really with the people on IIT issue, to file a no-confidence motion against the sarpanch,” he said.
Among those who spoke at the meeting were Kishore Poinguinkar, Amey Puranik, Jairaj Puranik, Manoj Prabhugaonkar, Renuka Prabhugaonkar, Panch Santana Da Costa and former sarpanch Ajay Lolienkar.
