PANAJI
Pending public interest litigation (PIL) in the High Court against e-auction of three mining blocks in Shirgao village, the Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Wednesday announced to exclude the temple of Shri Devi Lairai from the mining lease area.
Sawant was responding to the public opposition to the mining activities in Shirgao. The principal deity of the Shri Devi Lairai Temple herself through the President of the Shri Devi Lairai Temple trust and by villagers of Shirgao has filed a petition in the Bombay High Court at Goa pointing out that village settlement including the Devi Lairai temple, the homes, the schools, fields are located within the boundaries of the mining blocks auctioned and the same should be excluded.
“We are ready to exclude the temple from the mining lease area. I am also a follower of Devi Lairai. If the land belongs to the government, we can even transfer the said land in the name of temple trust,” Sawant announced.
He said that people should refrain from opposing mining activity in Shirgao Mining block fearing that property under Lairai Temple will be affected. “There is no need to oppose or protest on road or go to Court when the issue can be solved through dialogue. Some people oppose it for the sake of opposition. We are doing everything possible to see that mining activities resume and economic activities start in those areas. Nothing will be done against public wish but mining has to start,” the Chief Minister said.
In October, the division bench of the High Court issued notice to the Goa government and three successful bidders of the Mining blocks I, II and III - Vedanta Ltd, Salgaoncar Shipping Co Pvt Ltd, and M/s Rajaram Bandekar (Shirgao) Mines Pvt Ltd.
The petitioners had challenged the Letters of Intent issued to the three successful bidders. The PILs demand that the entire settlement of Shirgao including 17 temples be excluded from the 3 mining blocks, and that no mining should be allowed to restart until the village environmental concerns are addressed.
New houses built and sold in Mayem evacuee property will be razed: Sawant
PANAJI: The Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has warned to demolish all the new houses that would be constructed and sold in the Mayem evacuee property.
“We are not going to allow any more new houses in the evacuee property. They would be demolished in future. People building such houses and also those purchasing it should take note of this,” he said.
“People should not then hold the government, MLA or the collector responsible for demolition,” he added. Sawant was speaking at the event held to distribute Sanad in Mayem evacuee property.
