PANAJI
An otherwise divided Opposition closed ranks on Friday in a bid to corner the government on the controversial three linear projects which they said are singularly meant to cater to a coal transportation corridor between Mormugao port and northern Karnataka and demanded these be scrapped respecting popular sentiment and demand.
The government, on the other hand, stuck to its guns with Environment Minister Nilesh Cabral attempting to refute the charge that the projects are linked to coal transportation even as he said the decision of the Supreme Court, which is seized of the matter, will be respected.
Unsatisfied with Cabral's riposte, the entire Opposition stormed to the Well of the House protesting the refusal by the Speaker Ramesh Tawadkar to put to the vote of the House the private member's resolution moved by Altone D'Costa (Congress) and Vijai Sardesai (Goa Forward Party) seeking the scrapping of the three projects and withdrawal of criminal cases against the protesting NGOs and activists.
Earlier, during the discussion on the resolution, several members from the Opposition cited various official reports and remarks by the Supreme Court and Central Empowered Committee (CEC) to puncture the justification of the projects and to buttress their claim that they will convert Goa into a coal hub.
D'Costa, quoting the Supreme Court order which has stayed the double-tracking work of the railway line in the Tinai Ghat to Castlerock sector, urged the government to suspend work on the Vasco to Castlerock sector until a final decision of the Apex Court.
He also quoted Central government commissioned reports including the 'final report' of the Sagarmala Project to argue that the railway double-tracking project and the two other linear projects were only meant to facilitate transportation of coal from the Mormugao port to end users in North Karnataka projected to be in excess of 100 million tonnes.
Sardesai, quoting figures of coal handling quantums of past years and projections for future by MPT, said there was an undisputable nexus between the projects and coal transportation.
All the Congress MLAs present in the House -- Digambar Kamat, Aleixo Sequeira, Carlos Alvares, Yuri Alemao, Rudolf Fernandes, Sankalp Amonkar, Rajesh Faldesai and Delilah Lobo -- spoke in favour of the resolution seeking that the three projects be scrapped.
Both the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLAs, Venzy Viegas and Cruz Silva, and also the lone Revolutionary Goans Party (RGP) MLA, Viresh Borkar, were also vociferous in their opposition to the projects, particularly the railway double-tracking, and supported the resolution.
Viegas said, the Supreme Court has concurred with the CEC report that there is no justification for the three projects. He also urged the government to note that the need to blast several tunnels for the railway double tracking will destabilise the Western Ghats around the Dudhsagar area and destroy its ecology.
Later, the entire Opposition addressed the media outside the House, where it accused the government of acting as "agents of coal" while continuing to defend the three projects which they claim will cause irreparable environmental damage to the State.
All the Opposition MLAs sported black (coal) tilaks on their foreheads while addressing the media.
Reacting to the allegations of the Opposition, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, said they (Opposition) are only resorting to 'drama'.
"I have given an assurance on the floor of the House that there would be no increase of coal transportation," Sawant said.
