PANAJI
The stalemate over the controversial Unity Mall project in Chimbel deepened on Wednesday after Chief Minister Pramod Sawant met a delegation of protesting villagers but ruled out scrapping the project.
The meeting, held at the Chief Minister’s official bungalow in Altinho as promised earlier, ended without resolution, prompting villagers to declare their intention to intensify their agitation.
The Unity Mall, an ambitious Central government initiative, has already seen an expenditure of around Rs 25 crore, Sawant told the delegation while promising them that the government may consider withdrawing the proposed Prashasan Stambh (Administration Pillar) in view of local opposition.
It is not possible to cancel the Unity Mall itself given the investment already made, he reportedly told the delegation.
Govind Shirodkar, Chairman of the Chimbel Biodiversity Board Committee and a leading face of the agitation was part of the delegation which met the Chief Minister.
He told the media after the meeting that they are disappointed.
“There will be no compromise on our demand to scrap the Unity Mall. We are ready to intensify the agitation until this demand is met,” he said.
Shirodkar added that the villagers were dissatisfied with the outcome of the talks and would soon convene a gram sabha to decide the future course of action.
At the heart of the controversy lies Toyyar Lake, a wetland that villagers insist falls within the zone of influence of the Unity Mall site. The government has maintained that the project is outside the lake’s ecological impact area.
However, the delegation presented technical evidence challenging this claim, pointing to discrepancies in the notification declaring the land as a wetland.
In response, Sawant assured the villagers that their concerns would be re-verified. The National Institute of Oceanography (NIO) and the Water Resources Department (WRD) have now been tasked with conducting a scientific study of the lake’s boundaries and assessing the environmental impact of the project, findings of which are expected by Friday.
The agitation against the Unity Mall has been ongoing since December. In January, villagers intended to stage a grand march to the Goa Assembly which was in session to press their demands but were blocked by a strong police force at the Merces junction where they squatted the whole day.
Wednesday’s meeting was seen as a crucial opportunity to break the deadlock, but the outcome has only hardened positions on both sides.
Shirodkar said, the government has not taken any positive stance in cancelling the project altogether even as he vowed to continue the fight.
With no concrete solution emerging from the talks, the villagers are preparing to escalate their protest and a gram sabha is expected to chart the next phase of the agitation, which could include renewed demonstrations and legal action.
For now, the government appears firm on retaining the Unity Mall, citing its status as a flagship Central project. The villagers, equally resolute, insist that ecological concerns and community opposition cannot be ignored.
As both sides dig in, the controversy over Chimbel’s Unity Mall looks set to intensify in the days to come ahead.
Sawant’s meet with Khaunte, Fernandes raises eyebrows
PANAJI: Following the meeting with the protesters, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, confabulated with cabinet colleague Rohan Khaunte and St Cruz MLA, Rudolf Fernandes late on Wednesday evening. Details of what transpired at the Sawant-Khaunte-Fernandes meeting were not available but CMO sources sought to claim that it was not related to the Unity Mall issue.
Khaunte as Tourism Minister is the chief protagonist of the Unity Mall project which is being constructed through the Goa Tourism Development Corporation (GTDC) under his charge. Fernandes represents St Cruz of which Chimbel is a part and once sided with the villagers opposing the project before he switched to ruling BJP.
