MARGAO
Margao-based NGO, United Goans Foundation has cautioned the Goa IDC against auction of 4,42,138 sq mts of land, part of the SEZ land, at Verna without obtaining environmental clearance.
The NGO has threatened to move National Green Tribunal as well as file complaints against the IDC officials with Chief Vigilance Commission for dereliction of duties and acts of omission and commission and willfully putting to risk the environment and lives of Goans living around Verna.
UGF President Dr Aashish Kamat said the letter of caution has put to notice the Chief Secretary, Secretary Industries and MD GIDC not to continue with the auction of the said land without obtaining EC, failing which UGF has threatened to approach the NGT and then seek action against the government not only for this allotment without EC but for all allotments done post 2006 without following codal EIA procedures.
The UGF has advised interested investors to be wary of the acts of the GIDC which would put their investment in jeopardy as the UGF is confident of getting an injunction on the auctioning process from the NGT. The UGF also appeals to the GSIA to impress upon the government to follow due process of law failing which an allotment to Cat industry would make the whole Verna industrial estate obtain an EC.
“The act of the GIDC to auction about 4 lacs sq mts of land at Verna which was is part of the SEZ land without the mandated Environmental Clearance as per the EIA notification of 2006 is illegal and will bring the whole industrial estate under cloud for not following environmental norms”, he said.
Kamat added: “The GIDC has kept the auction open to all industries including Cat A and Cat B industries (as per EIA notification of 2006) which mandates prior EC before even plotting or developing. The EIA further specifies under the clause 7C of the schedule that even if one Cat A industry is given permission then the entire industrial area shall be treated as Cat A and will have to obtain mandatory EC from the centre. This would put in jeopardy the entire industrial setup at Verna where the GIDC has from inception neither conducted any study to understand the impact of industries on the environment and the lives of the Goans living around the area”.
He claimed the GIDC has not undertaken land conversion as stipulated before development of the entire Verna industrial estate barring around 76000 smts and the complaint of UGF is being probed by the Collectors of North and South and the Revenue department due to massive evasion of conversion duties to the Government.
