Leaders storm well of House, accuse CM of misleading Assembly; allege conflicting replies, unchecked expansion and environmental lapses
Opposition legislators disrupt Question Hour by rushing to the well of the House over coal handling at MPA.
MAPUSA
The joint Opposition on Tuesday mounted a coordinated and aggressive offensive against the BJP-led government over coal handling at the Mormugao Port Authority (MPA), repeatedly storming the well of the House and accusing Chief Minister Pramod Sawant of misleading the Assembly and allowing unchecked expansion of coal operations in the State.
Displaying rare unity and resolve, Opposition legislators disrupted Question Hour by rushing to the well, forcing the government on the defensive over environmental compliance, conflicting official statements and what they termed a betrayal of Goa’s mandate against coal.
Leader of Opposition Yuri Alemao-led accused the Chief Minister of giving “improper and misleading replies” on coal handling at MPA.
Alemao said the Chief Minister’s claim that only three companies were handling coal at the port stood contradicted by official replies given in Parliament.
“The Chief Minister says coal is handled by only three companies, but a parliamentary reply says otherwise. Another wing of the government says coal is being handled at five locations. Who is telling the truth? The Chief Minister is misleading this House,” Alemao alleged.
He further disclosed that Jindal alone had handled nearly 10 million tonnes of coal over the last three years, alleging that the government had failed to curb the steady expansion of coal operations.
“This government is doing nothing. It is sleeping. The Mormugao Port Authority has become a State within a State,” Alemao charged.
Raising serious questions on environmental clearances, Congress MLA Altone D’Costa said information obtained through the Right to Information Act revealed that the MPA does not possess mandatory environmental clearance for coal handling, yet the Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) had granted consent to operate.
“Why is there a discrepancy between the Centre and the State Pollution Control Board? How can consent be granted without environmental clearance?” D’Costa asked.
Invoking former chief minister late Manohar Parrikar, D’Costa said Parrikar had categorically stated in 2017 that Goa did not need additional coal and had expressed reservations over railway double tracking.
“This government never tires of eulogising Manohar Parrikar, but it has failed to carry forward his legacy,” he said.
D’Costa said the continued push for coal was destroying Goa and betraying the mandate given to the BJP in 2012. “Goans are being finished by bringing coal. People voted for the BJP to stop coal. Why is the government refusing to stop it?” he asked.
Responding to the sustained opposition attack, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said the GSPCB had granted consent to operate to three companies for coal and coke handling at the MPA.
He named M/s South West Port Ltd, permitted to handle 5.5 million metric tonnes (MMT) of coal and coke at Berths 5A and 6A; M/s Adani Mormugao Port Terminal, allowed to handle 5.2 MMT at Berth No 7 and Mooring Dolphins 1, 2 and 3; and additional permission for handling 1 lakh metric tonnes during the monsoon.
The Chief Minister also stated that coal and coke handled at the MPA are utilised by certain industrial units within Goa as raw material or fuel.
He maintained that for establishments falling under the ambit of the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) Notification, 2006, the GSPCB grants consent to operate only to those entities that possess valid environmental clearance from the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests.
Unconvinced by the Chief Minister’s explanation, opposition MLAs rushed to the well of the House, shouting slogans of “Goyant Kolso Naka” (We don’t want coal in Goa), underlining their determination to keep the pressure on the government over what they called a critical environmental and public health issue.
