MARGAO
Addressing the media, Reginaldo said the nationalisation of the six Goan rivers, double tracking of Railways and construction of highways are all part of a secret plan hatched by BJP to help the big time industrialists to make huge profits. “It is just a coincidence that the rivers, highways and Port is sought to be expanded by Union Minister for Surface Transport Nitin Gadkari. This same Nitin Gadkari was one person who has ensured that the BJP come to power without the people’s mandate. That only goes to show that the BJP has gone all out to form the government to ensure that all these infrastructure projects are cleared to help the industrialists. Adani plans to import inferior quality highly polluting coal from Australia to Goa to be taken to interior Karnataka to power plants,” he said, while expressing his shock at the amount of destruction that the government is prepared to inflict on Goa and Goans, making this the biggest of scams in Goa ever.
“Our fish and fisherfolk will be no more as our rivers will be lifeless channels for ships, coal dust and pollution across not only Goa, but all other jetties, rivers, highways and railway lines will strangle life out of Goa and Goans,” he added.
Reginaldo said that it is a blot on democracy that plans are being executed for large scale coal transportation through Goa, but the people are told nothing about it.
When the media questioned the silence on the part of the Congress leadership on the issue, Reginaldo shot back saying that local Congress leaders from Vasco have raised their voice against the coal hub plans and disclosed plans to make the State Congress leadership to take a firm stand on the issue.
He said all those who have Goa’s welfare at heart and agree that Goa should not become a coal hub must join the people for the public hearings to be held on April 26, 27 and 28 at Tilak Maidan, Vasco
to stop this menace before it is born.
