Chief Minister Pramod Sawant addressing residents of Mirabag and leaders at the government rest house in Margao on Monday.
MARGAO
The 49-day Mirabag agitation was finally called off on Monday evening after Chief Minister Pramod Sawant promised leaders spearheading the agitation that he would close the project file by putting a remark on the controversial bandhara.
The breakthrough came after Sawant along with Social Welfare Minister Subhash Faldessai and Speaker of the Goa Legislative Assembly and Sanvordem MLA Ganesh Gaonkar went into a huddle with a delegation of leaders of the agitation, including former Dy CM Deepak Pauskar at the government rest house, Margao.
Briefing media after the meeting, the Chief Minister said he had told the agitating public in the past and is again repeating that the government will not go ahead with the bandhara construction at Mirabag. “During the meeting held with the leaders, I have assured them that I will put my remark on the bandhara project and close the file”, the Chief Minister told media in the presence of Minister Subhash Faldesai.
Satisfied with the chief minister’s promise, the leaders of the agitation and the people told media that they have finally decided to call off the 49-day agitation.
Upendra Naik told media that the CM has promised to put a remark on the file within two days and close it. “We will then ask for information under the RTI after two days. As the CM has assured to fulfil our demands, we have decided to call off the stir”, Naik said.
He recalled that the people of Mirabag had placed the charter of demands, including scrapping of the project, restoring the excavated pits, and hot mixing of the Mirabag road damaged by the WRD.
As far as the fourth demand of withdrawal of cases against the four protestors booked for carrying placards and protesting in the Goa Legislative Assembly, Naik said that chief minister has given a positive signal in that direction.
Deepak Pauskar thanked the chief minister for taking the decision by taking cognisance of the sentiments of the agitating public. He also thanked the women of Mirabag for waging a sustained battle against the project.
Social activist Mesho D’Costa thanked the people of Goa for lending their support to Mirabag residents in their agitation against the bandhara project.
