MARGAO
Asserting that the people of Goa do not trust the Railways on the decision to postpone work of laying the double track at Davorlim, Goencho Ekvott on Friday said thousands of people will descend on the Davorlim railway crossing on Sunday night if the South Goa District Collector does not withdraw the order to close the road for traffic on November 9.
Members of the Goencho Ekvott also slammed the Government for filing false cases against its own people for peacefully protesting at Chandor with candles on a road which was closed for traffic.
Addressing the media, Goencho Ekvott Convenor Creson Antao said the organisation has only come to know from the media about Railway’s decision to postpone the November 9 work at the Davorlim level crossing due to operational constraints.
“How can we trust the decision of the Railways to postpone the work? So far, South Collector’s order for road closure at the Davorlim railway crossing is not revoked or withdrawn,” he said, adding that all the organisations spearheading the anti-track doubling and coal transportation are gearing up for the peaceful protest at Davorlim on Sunday night.
He hit out at the government for filing false cases against leaders of Goencho Ekvott and Goyant Kollso Naka, asserting that such moves will not cow down the people of Goa from opposing plans to make Goa a coal hub.
Creson warned that the tourism industry will suffer irreparable damage if Goa becomes a coal hub, adding that Goencho Ekvott is not only fighting to stop work at the level crossings but against the entire double-tracking and other coal-related projects.
Goencho Ekvott founder member, Orville Rodrigues charged the government of using the police to suppress the peaceful movement against coal hub. “Our battle to save Goa will continue. Such false cases will not deter the people of Goa from taking the movement to its logical conclusion”, he said, while making a fervent plea to all Goans to unite to take the battle forward.
Executive member Jose Raju Cabral said people are ready to face police bullets, but will not rest till Goa is saved from the destructive projects, including track-doubling and coal transportation.
“The government should understand the sentiments of the people. People of Goa are prepared to face the false cases as well as bullets,” he thundered.
Architect Royla Fernandes said instead of registering the FIR against all those who are out to destroy Goa, the government has got the police to foist false cases on people out on the streets to save their health and environment.
“We look forward to the government to give the people of Goa a Diwali gift by scrapping the ill-conceived projects,” she demanded.
Goencho Ekvott women’s wing convenor Ella Mascarenhas made an emotional appeal to the people of Goa to back the people’s movement by GE and the 30 organisations to oppose the infrastructure being laid specifically for the movement of toxic coal through Goa, which has brought along untold misery to the residents along the existing railway tracks.
