the goan I network
PANAJI
Law Minister Nilesh Cabral rejected the demand of Congress MLA Reginaldo Lourenco to request National Green Tribunal (NGT) for setting up a Circuit Bench in Panaji and said that people are misusing the tribunal for personal reasons and the number of petitions may increase if the tribunal is setup in Goa.
While most of the MLAs decided not to express their views, Churchill Alemao supported Cabral’s contention.
The resolution moved by Aleixo Reginaldo was finally put to vote and defeated.
Lourenco’s resolution sought that the State request the NGT to set up a Circuit Bench in Panaji for the convenience of environmentalists, litigants, lawyers, government officials and the public at large in the State.
While stressing on his demand Lourenco said that environmentalists and tribal people had to travel to Pune for filing cases.
He also highlighted that government also has to spend more money on advocates defending government side in the Pune.
Minister Cabral, however, said that out of 338 odd cases which are filed in NGT most of the cases are for individual gains and not for protection of environment. He gave an example of 17 cases which were filed by NGOs. “Though Maharashtra is bigger than Goa, 70 percent cases are from our tiny State,” Cabral said.
He also said that having circuit bench in Goa is not the solution. However, Lourenco argued that the government has no right to judge the intention of the petitioner and it is up to the judges to decide on the matter of petition.
Churchill Alemao talking in support of the minister said that Reginaldo has not thought of future problems while bringing up this resolution. “People who are opposing are just halting projects. I demand that if possible just stop NGT,” said Alemao.
