MARGAO
With the PWD, National Highway rejecting the objections lodged by the Loutolim villagers to the land acquisition for the new Borim bridge, the Goyant Kollso Naka has sounded a war bugle, threatening to commence a state wide agitation if the government does not immediately stop what it termed as “Coal Highway “ NH-17B”.
The GKN demanded that the NH-17B project and related land acquisition be immediately dropped by the government, and that the government takes up the genuine needs of the people of Goa by repairing and maintaining the existing Borim bridge, or by building a low-level, parallel 2-lane bridge, without any additional land acquisition.
“If necessary, GKN shall commence a State wide agitation to force the government to respect and serve the needs of the local communities, and to stamp out permanently the greedy, unholy plans of coal corporations to make Goa a coal hub”, GKN co-convenor Abhijit Prabhudesai warned.
Condemning the ongoing land acquisition proceedings initiated for construction of NH-17B (NH-566) through the villages of Loutulim and Borim, Abhijit said the construction of the NH-17B is meant only for transportation of coal from Mormugao Port to factories in Karnataka, and will lay the foundation for irreversible, unprecedented destruction of Goa’s economies, communities and environment, in order to make Goa a coal hub.
GKN leader Xavier Fernandes said the letter from the Chief Engineer (NH, R& B), PWD to the Chief Engineer (P-6), MORTH dated 04/05/2017 clearly proves that the proposal for a new Borim Bridge is being cunningly misused to serve coal corporations that rule Mormugao Port. “He says the proposal for a new bridge is ‘priority’, indicating that our government has scant regard for the local communities and their transportation needs, and is willing to sacrifice Goa for the greed of coal Corporations.
“The people’s need for transportation on Ponda-Margao route can and must be fulfilled by repairing and maintaining the existing bridge, or by building a low-level, parallel 2 lane bridge without any additional land acquisition, using existing Margao-Ponda Road. “‘Swayampuna’ and ‘Atmanirbhar’ villages must be revived. However, instead of catering to the people’s needs, all the 7 alternatives considered by the Government are for coal transportation from Mormugao Port and destruction of our villages, and therefore GKN demands that all the 7 alternatives be dropped”, he demanded.
He said the complete lack of transparency and the unholy haste with which the land acquisition proceedings are being forced on people show that the Government is no different from the British Colonial rulers, whose unconstitutional laws are being abused for usurping highly eco-sensitive, economically productive khazan lands belonging to indigenous communities, for the greed of coal companies.
The GKN said the Goa Government is betraying the people of Goa by refusing to stop the doubling of coal handling by Jindal at Mormugao Port, the three linear projects, and the proposals to construct numerous jetties along our rivers, and by supporting the unconstitutional Sagarmala Project, Major Ports Authority Act, 2021, National Waterways Act, 2016 and CRZ Notification 2019, which are all being pushed in order to make Goa a coal hub.
“Government’s refusal to even respond to huge agitations and thousands of representations made by citizens against coal transportation since 2017, and its consistent lies aimed at fooling the citizens, make it abundantly clear that the Government is enslaved by the coal corporations. The Government’s own documents also reveal that the NH-17B construction will not only displace indigenous communities of Loutulim and Borim, but will also displace all the fisherfolk around Vasco City, endanger the health of Vasco residents, and open up all the khazans of Zuari, Cumbharjua and Mandovi rivers for coal storage and transportation, destroying scores of villages, displacing Goa’s indigenous communities, and permanently erasing our ancient culture and civilization’, GKN stated.
Besides Abhijit and Xavier, the media briefing was attended by Diana Tavares, Joaquim Gracias, Sabita Mascarenhas, Zarinha Da Cunha, Dennis Fernandes and others.
