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OLD GOA
After targeting the panchayat authorities and the local MLA Tony Fernandes, Santa Cruz locals targeted Goa Forward leaders Vijay Sardessai and Babush Monserratte, blaming them for including parts of Santa Cruz in the PDA.
The locals demanded that the local MLA Fernandes should raise the issue in the Assembly and demand for exclusion of Santa Cruz from PDA, while urging other legislators to support the demand so that the village is saved from destruction.
Around 50 locals took out a rally from the Santa Cruz church to the office of Goa Forward on Friday shouting slogans that they won’t rest till they taste victory.
Speaking outside the GF’s office, Arturo D’Souza warned both Monserratte and Sardessai not to play with the sentiments of the people and alleged that both have joined hands to destroy Goa.
“Sardessai had earlier promised to save Bondvoll lake,” said D’Souza and warned both the GF leaders to think twice before setting foot in Santa Cruz.
Domnic Fernandes chided the politicians for once again including the village in PDA even though former MLA Victoria Fernandes had fought tooth and nail against it. “How many battles are we supposed to fight to save our village?” questioned Fernandes and lambasted the politicians who on one hand are fighting for installing Jack Sequeira’s statue in the Assembly but on the other hand are planning destruction of Goa through PDA.
Convenor of Village Development Committee Elsa Dias said that the upcoming Assembly session is the last hope for Santa Cruz to exclude it from PDA and urged all legislators to support the cause.
Dias further chided the politicians for arguing that PDA is needed for development of government projects in Santa Cruz. “Haven’t government projects like Cujira school complex, Goa University, stadiums, etc come up in Santa Cruz?” Dias posed while opining that the term development is used only as a ploy to further interests of the politicians.
“Politicians should do legislation and not involve themselves in planning. They are not qualified for the same. Let the TCP department headed by the town planners plan development of villages,” Dias stated while adding that Santa Cruz is not equipped with the infrastructure to handle additional burden that PDA would bring.
Advocate Antonio Lourenco informed that the villagers had objected to inclusion in PDA after the first notification was published in December. “The gram sabha had resolved against it and the resolution was sent to the CM, TCP Minister and TCP department, much before the 30 days period of submitting objections ended,” Lourenco stated while opining that the question of not opposing earlier does not arise.
