CHIMBEL STANDOFF: Villagers squat on the road at the Merces junction after they were stopped from proceeding to the Assembly on Thursday. (Right) Opposition MLAs extend support to villagers.
PANAJI
With Chimbel villagers continuing to squat on the national highway at the Merces junction, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant arrived at the site and interacted with the protesters and reportedly assured to "reconsider" the Unity Mall project.
During his interactions at around 11.30 pm, Sawant also conceded the protesters' demand that the Toyyar lake and the surrounding buffer area in the vicinity of the project site at Chimbel be notified as a wetland.
The CM cited that the Unity Mall project is a central one undertaken under the Prime Minister's initiative, and that the State government would not be able to take a unilateral decision over scrapping it.
"I assure you that after due consultations with the Centre, an appropriate decision will be arrived at in the interest of the people of Chimbel", said Sawant.
On being asked whether the government will refrain from an appeal in the High Court, Sawant said he is yet to discuss the matter with Advocate General.
While there were intermittent applauds over the CM's assurances, a section of the protestors remained steadfast over continuing with the protest since there was no categorical commitment to scrap the project.
The protestors finally dispersed at midnight with a promise to intensify the agitation if the government goes back on its promise, including protesting inside the demarcated Unity Mall area.
Earlier, the agitation against the proposed Unity Mall project escalated on Thursday as hundreds of villagers attempted to march to the Legislative Assembly in Porvorim, demanding permanent cancellation of the project.
A heavy police force intercepted the protesters at Merces junction along the highway, preventing them from proceeding further. Defiant villagers, angered by the government’s silence in the House, set up camp at the junction and vowed not to retreat until a clear decision is announced.
The protest, which began in Panaji earlier in the day, saw tense moments when police used signal jammers to block live coverage of the march. Journalists strongly objected, forcing authorities to withdraw the jammers after sustained pressure.
Clashes briefly broke out between protesters and police as villagers questioned why the government was unwilling to scrap the project despite the District Court cancelling its license.
In a symbolic act of defiance, several protesters voluntarily sat inside police vehicles, declaring that if they were not allowed to march to the Assembly, they should be detained.
The agitation reverberated inside the Assembly, where Opposition members interrupted proceedings and sat in the Well of the House over reports that police had detained or arrested protesters. They relented when Chief Minister Pramod Sawant clarified that no one was detained.
Sawant also urged villagers to end their protest and instead nominate a four-member delegation for talks.
However, protesters remained unconvinced, insisting on a written assurance rather than verbal promises.
North Goa Collector Ankit Yadav also met the agitators, requesting them to submit a memorandum but they refused, stating they had already conveyed their demands directly to the Chief Minister.
Meanwhile, Opposition MLAs including Leader of the Opposition Yuri Alemao, Congress MLA Altone D’Costa, AAP MLA Venzy Viegas, and Revolutionary Goans MLA Viresh Borkar visited the protest site, extending solidarity to the villagers.
Adding to the controversy, Advocate General Devidas Pangam clarified that there was no legal impediment to the Unity Mall project. He explained that the District Court’s observations were purely technical, pointing out that construction permission should have been granted by the Deputy Director instead of the Block Development Officer.
“The court has not declared the project illegal. It only highlighted a procedural lapse. The government can obtain fresh permission and proceed,” Pangam said.
He further asserted that the site does not fall within an eco-sensitive zone or wetland buffer, citing a letter from the Wetland Authority.
Pangam emphasized that the Unity Mall is a national-level project, legally sound, and cannot be stalled.
