the goan I network
PANAJI
In a fresh burst of creativity a day after Priyanka Gandhi joined the Congress family, the youth wing of the Goa Congress on Thursday buried themselves in the sands of Miramar beach, as a form of protest against the newly notified CRZ regulations.
Around 15 members of the Youth Congress buried themselves shoulder-deep in sand at the beach for around half an hour, while president Varad Mardolkar buried himself upto his neck, with only his head visible above the sand. Senior members of the Congress gathered in protest behind the buried youth, while Kennedy Afonso, who was a prominent member of Goenkars Against CRZ 2018 in the latter part of last year was seen once again with his guitar, leading the protestors in song.
While the youth had placed placards saying “Save Goan Coastal Communities”, “Goa!!! But where are the beaches?”, “Don’t Destroy our Livelihood - Fisherman”, the protestors shouted slogans about not wanting the new rules to be enforced.
Leader of Opposition Chandrakant Babu Kavlekar said that the Opposition party would raise the issue in the upcoming Assembly Session. “Lakhs of objections to the draft CRZ notification had been sent to the government, but the government ignored all of these,” said Kavlekar, adding, “Parrikar had told us that these rules won’t affect Goa. These rules need to be de-notified at once.”
Congress president Girish Chodankar alleged that the government had notified the new regulations only to benefit the hotel lobby who had been fined heavily by the NGT for violating the CRZ 2011 guidelines.
He said, “This is government-sponsored destruction of the environment.” Chodankar also said that with the new CRZ rules, the coast will belong to only the rich, while the poor won’t have access to the beaches any longer. “Beaches will become privatized,” he said.
Afonso meanwhile promised a fresh phase of protests from GACRZ and said this new phase would be two-fold : on the streets and in the courts.
New CRZ notification will leave ugly scars on Goa’s landscape: AAP
MARGAO : AAP on Thursday said that the new CRZ notification will leave ugly scars on Goa’s landscape sacrificing the last of ‘goemkarponn’ left in the State at the altar of greed.
Expressing dismay at the government’s move AAP leader Sidharth Karapurkar described the decision as an act of arrogance of both the Centre and the State, as large number of people including AAP had opposed the draft notification.
AAP also brought the issue of conversion of lakhs of sq mtrs of partly orchard, partly slope in private forest lands. Showing a case of land conversion of one lakh sq metres of sloppy forest land in favour of a builder, Karapurkar said that private forest lands identified by SC-appointed committees were now categorised as ‘not forests’ to serve the greed of a few ministers.
He said that forest economy is as good as industrial economy as trees give us oxygen, preserve water, fruits, timber and several other self-sustaining benefits. “Youth must note that their government is out to finish Goa. Ministers are parking huge amounts of money abroad for their children. Only children of the aam aadmi will be further impoverished to remain back to lick the wounds inflicted by such reckless decisions by unscrupulous politicians,” said Karapurkar.
