PEOPLE’S POWER: A massive crowd at Azad Maidan, Panaji demanding the scrapping of Section 39A of the TCP Act on Monday.
PANAJI
Covering an 8-10 km stretch in the heat, hundreds of villagers -- including women, children and senior citizens, broke through police barricades and marched to the Dona Paula residence of TCP Minister Vishwajit Rane on Monday, demanding the immediate repeal of Section 39A and alleging large-scale illegal land conversions. The protesters, joined by several political leaders, staged a demonstration outside the bungalow, insisting their demands be addressed.
Responding to the “Karo Ya Maro” call by Palem-Siridao villagers, thousands of people assembled at Azad Maidan in Panaji, with participants arriving from Sattari, Mandrem, Usgao, Salcete, Tivim, Cuncolim and other parts of the State. Some protesters from Cuncolim and Colva alleged that police intercepted buses carrying demonstrators en route to Panaji.
Public discontent over conversions cleared under Section 39A of the Town and Country Planning (TCP) Act was visible as villagers, determined to reach the minister’s residence, even took the beach route after being stopped by a heavy police contingent at Miramar.
The protest coincided with the third day of St Andre MLA Viresh Borkar’s indefinite hunger strike. Agitators claimed the government had yet to respond to repeated representations on the issue.
What began as a local agitation in Palem-Siridao against the land-use change of 76,000 square metres -- allegedly granted to benefit a single company-has since evolved into a Statewide campaign calling for the cancellation of all approvals issued under Section 39A.
With the Assembly’s Budget Session less than two weeks away, Opposition parties have begun consolidating around the issue in a bid to corner the Pramod Sawant-led government. Leader of Opposition Yuri Alemao, Congress MLA Carlos Ferreira and AAP MLAs Venzy Viegas and Cruz Silva participated in the march. However, GFP chief Vijai Sardesai and his party leaders refrained from proceeding to the minister’s residence.
Despite extensive police deployment, tensions flared when protesters attempted to advance beyond barricades. Demonstrators pushed through police blockades, resulting in scuffles as security personnel struggled to manage the swelling crowd.
The protest and subsequent police barricading led to severe traffic congestion in the Dona Paula-Miramar stretch, leaving hundreds of commuters stranded for hours. Frustrated motorists accused the police of poor traffic management while some urged them to show solidarity with the protestors and not to stop them.
Meanwhile, explaining his decision to stay away from the march to the minister’s residence, Sardesai termed the move as “mobocracy.” He said he had come to express solidarity with Borkar but opposed taking protests to a person’s home. “I had come here to show solidarity with Viresh Borkar, but I am opposed to going to anybody’s house. This is mobocracy, and I cannot risk the lives of my supporters by participating in a morcha to Vishwajit’s residence,” he said, adding that agitations should not be “hijacked.”
As the Budget Session nears, the escalating agitation over Section 39A has turned into a major political flashpoint, placing the government under mounting pressure while sharpening divisions within the opposition ranks.
