The protesters warned of intensified agitation, including a Gandhian-style non-cooperation movement at the panchayat and municipal levels, if the government failed to withdraw Section 39A.
Addressing the gathering, movement spokesperson Devidas Amonkar said the agitation aimed to protect Goa’s land, environment and identity.
“God created the earth first, and we humans came later, but we grabbed the land to suit our conveniences and claimed it as our own,” Amonkar said. He alleged that large tracts of land were being illegally converted and claimed that the government had failed to act on a 10-point charter of demands submitted earlier to the Prime Minister, the President, and the state government. “Despite our demand to cancel Section 39A, the government continues to pass two to three conversion orders every week in the official gazette,” he alleged.
Spokesperson Govind Shirodkar said the movement was functioning under the guidance of former Chief Justice of the Allahabad High Court Justice Ferdino Rebello and urged citizens to seek support from senior legal and public figures. “When an attempt was made to place nearly 2.5 lakh square metres of land in Arambol under settlement, people organised a torch rally. Justice Rebello has expressed concern over the issue and his support strengthens our movement,” Shirodkar said.
Questioning the government’s land policies, Shirodkar targeted Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and TCP Minister Vishwajit Rane. “Who gave you the right to destroy our hills, fields and estates?” he asked, alleging that agricultural land was being sacrificed in the name of development. “Under the guise of development, you issue orders as you please and destroy our agricultural fields,” he said.
Referring to the Karapur project, Shirodkar alleged that large-scale construction was threatening villages. “You are bringing clouds of dust, building massive villas over 5.5 lakh square metres and destroying entire villages,” he said. “If we Goans do not protect our land, what will our future generations eat? Think carefully about the answer you will have to give them,” he added.
Environmentalist Claude Alvares thanked citizens for attending the protest despite the rain and said the Regional Plan 2021 belonged to every Goan. “The Regional Plan is not a private document. It belongs to every citizen of Goa. It protects the eco-zones of Goa, and without public consent, nobody can alter it,” he said. Alvares said public pressure had earlier forced the government to withdraw Section 16B of the TCP Act and demanded similar action on Section 39A. “16B was similar to 39A. The government withdrew it, and today we are asking them to do the same with 39A,” he said.
He called for a Gandhian non-cooperation movement if the provision was not withdrawn. “If 39A is not cancelled, the entire TCP Department and Cabinet will be held responsible. I propose starting a Gandhian non-cooperation movement at the panchayat and municipality levels. Refuse to pass any licences or files related to 39A,” Alvares said.
Enough Is Enough spokesperson Swapnesh Sherlekar, while reading out the memorandum submitted to the Chief Town Planner, demanded the immediate scrapping of Section 39A and suspension of notifications issued under the provision pending the outcome of the constitutional challenge before the High Court.
Sherlekar alleged that Section 39A was being used to bypass the statutory Regional Plan through individual plot-wise conversions. “Section 39A allows individual landowners to seek changes in zoning prescribed under the Regional Plan, including conversion of eco-sensitive zones into settlement zones. This fundamentally alters the planning process,” he said.
He claimed that recommendations had been made for conversion of around 5 lakh square metres of eco-sensitive land into settlement zones, while 279 recommendations had been finalised despite objections from local groups. He further alleged that around 30.27 lakh square metres of land had already been converted under Section 39A, including No Development Areas, slopes and fallow agricultural land.
Sherlekar said the movement had given the government a 15-day ultimatum to respond and rectify the issue, failing which it would explore further legal and constitutional remedies.
Former bureaucrat and environmentalist Elvis Gomes urged panchayat representatives to stop processing licences and files related to the provision. “Just as Gandhiji started the Non-Cooperation Movement, every single Panchayat must start a non-cooperation movement now. If you firmly resolve not to pass any cases or grant any licences, it will become impossible for them to function,” he said.
Advocate Radharao Gracias alleged that Section 39A had become a system of “pay and pen” and appealed to opposition parties to unite against the provision. “Those who fail to unite are enemies of the people,” he said, calling for a gathering of one lakh people at Azad Maidan. Advocate Ajay Prabhu Gaonkar said unchecked development would affect future generations. “Because of destruction in the name of development, children today will only draw buildings instead of natural scenery,” he said.
Adding to the protest, Social activist Xencor Polgi warned about the ecological impact of hill cutting and land levelling. “Reckless cutting of hills changes the ground pressure. When you level the ground, you change the pressure that keeps everything in place,” he said.
GPCC president Girish Chodankar criticised the government’s land policies, alleging that Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and TCP Minister Vishwajit Rane were running a “Goa for sale” agenda. “The government is sleeping like Kumbhakarna and refuses to listen to the people,” Chodankar said. Congress spokesperson Amit Palekar alleged that Goa’s land was being treated as a revenue source. “TCP Ministers treat Goa’s land like an ATM card, inserting the card to extract money. Karapur has become the biggest real estate project in Goa’s history,” he said.
Meanwhile, AAP Goa leaders led by state president Valmiki Naik joined the protest and demanded that a special Assembly session be convened to discuss the repeal of Section 39A.
