VASCO
Elected representatives, political leaders, and locals gathered in Sancoale on Sunday to support former Sarpanch Premanand Naik, who entered the seventh day of his hunger strike against the controversial Bhutani project.
Demands for immediate revocation of the project’s licenses were strongly voiced at a peaceful protest organized by the "Sancoale Against Mega Project" group, drawing wide participation from across Goa.
Cortalim MLA Anton Vas reiterated his longstanding opposition to the Bhutani project, highlighting his attempts to halt the project through Assembly debates and official correspondence with the Panchayat and other departments.
Vas stated, "as MLA, I have raised this issue in the Assembly and communicated my opposition to all relevant departments. Today, I am here with my Zilla Panchayat member wife to reinforce my support for the people."
Sancoale opposition Panch member Tulshidas Naik stressed the urgency of Naik’s deteriorating health due to his indefinite hunger strike, demanding that the Panchayat immediately revoke Bhutani’s licenses to end the strike.
"Naik’s health worsens daily. Our only demand is for the Panchayat to revoke the licenses as Bhutani lacks the required approvals," said Naik.
Expressing his concern for Goa’s environmental future, AAP MLA Cruz Silva warned, "If such mega projects continue, Goa will be unrecognizable in five years. We need a regional plan to protect farmlands, forests, and hillocks, or Goan land will be lost to development pressures. Some panchayat members, instead of protecting our village, have aligned with Bhutani, forcing Goans to unite against this project."
Former Tourism Minister Micky Pacheco, defying potential government backlash, emphasized the urgency of revoking the project licenses.
"Outsiders have gained footholds here, endangering Goans' livelihoods. The TCP department must revoke this license immediately," he stated.
Goa Forward Party’s Mohandas Lolienkar pledged his support to the agitation, assuring that his party would work to scrap the Bhutani project. The protest drew support from other prominent figures, including Pratima Coutinho, environmentalist Olencio Simoes, and activist Aruna Wagh, all of whom shared messages of solidarity.
