MARGAO
Capping the suspense and uncertainty over the conduct of Christmas midnight masses at Parishes across the state, Law Minister, Nilesh Cabral, who also holds the Environment portfolio, on Monday asserted that churches and temples have never asked for permission to use sound to conduct religious services, including Christmas midnight mass and zatras in the past and they need not do so for the ensuing Christmas midnight masses and Zatras.
Cabral informed that he has called for a high-level meeting with the Advocate General as well as the district Collectors and other high-level officials on Thursday to take stock of the situation in view of the ensuing Christmas festivities.
Making a categorical statement on the conduct of religious services in view of the High Court monitoring the sound pollution norms, on the sidelines of the Goa Liberation Day function at Margao, Cabral asserted the question of the churches and temples obtaining permission does not arise when they use sound to conduct their services within the permissible decibel limits. “Did the churches taken permission from the authorities to use sound in the past to hold the religious services? The question does not arise at all. They may apply to the authorities for traffic regulation and security. They have never asked for permission to use sound and they are free to hold the services”, he said.
He added: “I have seen the statements made by some Priests, which are not wanted. For, they are free to hold the midnight Masses since their sound decibel is within permissible limits”.
Making a distinction between the low decibel sound used to conduct religious services at Christmas midnight Masses and Zatras and sound used for late night parties, Cabral said the High Court is monitoring the activities which are creating nuisance in the environment because of sound going till 3, 4 and 5 am with high decibel. Since we are part of the High Court system, we are monitoring this high decibel sound and not the religious services conducted with low decibel sound”, he added.
Saying Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and he as law and Environment Minister are all there to protect all sections of society, Cabral said church services have been going on for centuries with a microphone and their decibel with within the system.
Pointing out there is confusion in the minds of the people on the sound pollution norms, the Environment Minister said Goa is no more following the Madhya Pradesh sound norms. The State is following the 2002 noise pollution rules framed under the Environment Protection Act. “People still believe we are following the Madhya Pradesh Sound norms. These 2000 norms are not created by me or the chief minister since they had come into force 22 years ago. Whether the rules were followed or not followed is one part”, he said.
When the media drew his attention to the plea made by AAP Benaulim MLA Venzy Viegas to the government to relax sound norms in view of the Christmas activities, Cabral termed Venzy’s demand as a political stunt.
