PANAJI
Villagers of Chimbel on Wednesday declared that they will continue their agitation against the proposed Unity Mall and Prashashan Stambh projects until the government officially announces that the plans at the current location are scrapped.
The announcement came after a meeting they had with Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and Speaker Ganesh Gaonkar at the Goa Legislative Assembly complex.
Speaking to media persons after the meeting, the villagers said they were not satisfied with the government’s assurances and would intensify their protests and announced a mega march to the Assembly on Thursday, reiterating their demand that the controversial projects be withdrawn.
The protesting villagers’ meeting with the chief minister took place just hours after the Principal District and Sessions Judge passed orders quashing the Block Development Officer’s directive, as well as those of the Director of Panchayats to the secretary of the Chimbel panchayat to issue the
construction licences.
The court in its Wednesday’s order also quashed the licence issued by the Chimbel panchayat secretary to the Goa Tourism Development Corporation (GTDC) for the Unity Mall project.
The court ruling has provided fresh impetus to the villagers’ campaign, which has been ongoing for months, fearing that the Unity Mall and the proposed 17-storey Prashashan Stambh administrative tower will irreversibly damage Toyyar Lake and surrounding wetlands, threatening biodiversity and local livelihoods.
They have staged demonstrations at the Chimbel Panchayat office and the residence of the Santa Cruz MLA, accusing their representatives of siding with the government.
While the government has maintained that the Unity Mall lies outside the wetland zone and has received all statutory clearances, villagers remain unconvinced. Protest leaders insist that development cannot come at the cost of ecological balance and community interests.
With the court’s ruling now in their favour, the villagers’ agitation is expected to escalate in the coming days.
