Photo caption.
Quitol Comunidade president Srikhant Desai addressing the media along with OPA spokesman Freddy Fernandes and Betul Sarpanch Krishna Sawant Desai. Santosh Mirajkar
MARGAO
As work on the DefExpo site commenced on Monday with police protection, the Orixtt Porjecho Avaz (OPA) has ruled out withdrawing the five-month-long agitation against the expo, threatening to continue the protests, notwithstanding the commencement of work.
Asked whether OPA will do a re-think if the government hands out written assurances, OPA spokesman shot back, “If the government comes out with a formulae, we will have to decide what are the terms and condition."
In the meantime, Betul Sarpanch Krishna Sawant Desai, while criticising his Fatorpa counterpart Sanzil D’Costa for his claim that the DefExpo site falls in Quitol, on Monday said the panchayat is ready for a dialogue on the DefExpo if Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar invites them for negotiations.
Addressing a joint media conference here on Monday, the Betul Sarpanch also pooh-poohed claims made by neighbouring Fatorpa Sarpanch Sanzil D’Costa that the expo land in question falls in Quitol Comunidade. He along with Quitol Comunidade president Srikhant Desai also echoed similar sentiments that the acquired land in question falls in the revenue village of Betul and not in Quitol as claimed by the Fatorpa sarpanch and others.
“We fail to understand how the Fatorpa sarpanch and others have claimed that the land falls in Quitol when it comes under the revenue village of Betul. Moreover, how can they claim that the land belongs to Quitol Comunidade when the same is already acquired by the IDC," the duo questioned, while asking the government to inquire into the claims made by the Fatorpa sarpanch.
Meanwhile, OPA spokesperson Freddy Fernandes said that the DefExpo authorities on Monday have come in with heavy machinery with police protection at the site. “As far as possible, we will continue our agitation peacefully. We do not know whether the government has any time for negotiations because no government official has approached the agitating people for a dialogue till date," he said, adding 'this only goes to show that both Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar and Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar do not believe in democracy, but in dictatorship'.
Replying to a question on the commencement of work at the site on Monday, Freddy said, “So far, our agitation has been peaceful and we will carry out the agitation in a peaceful manner. It is up to the government what happens from here on."
Betul panch member Delsie Barbosa slammed the Chief Minister for not interacting with the agitating villagers, demanding to know whether Parsekar is aware that there exists a village panchayat by name Betul. “The Chief Minister had come to the site with people from neighbouring Cola and other areas. Local people of Betul have been steadfast in their agitation against the project," Delsie said.
