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PANDURANG BACKS
ANTI-SALE STIR
* Cumbharjua MLA Pandurang Madkaikar has appealed to all locals from Corlim and surrounding villages to participate in large numbers outside the company's unit in Corlim on Sunday
* I am with the people of Corlim and surrounding villages hence, I have decided to actively support the agitation which will be held in front of Syngenta chemical unit, he said
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OLD GOA: Undeterred by the nod given by the Competition Commission of India (CCI) to Syngenta to sell its manufacturing facility in Corlim to Deccan Fine Chemicals, residents of Corlim villagers have decided to intensify their agitation against the sale.
According to the deal, Syngenta's agrochemical manufacturing facility located at Corlim will be acquired by the Hyderabad-based company on a slump sale basis.
According to media reports, Syngenta's facility at Corlim, including its assets, licences and permits, assumed liabilities and employees will be reportedly transferred to Deccan Fine Chemicals.
The Corlim villagers are involved in a fierce battle against the takeover of Syngenta by the Hyderabad-based company, after suspecting the company of questionable safety standards. They have no issue with a foreign firm running the company if stringent safety measures are in place.
The agitation has got a major boost with local Cumbharjua MLA Pandurang Madkaikar extending support to the Corlim panchayat members and villagers, who will agitate in front of Syngenta’s unit at Corlim on Sunday from 9 am onwards.
The Corlim panchayat members led by Sarpanch Supriya Kerkar and accompanied by concerned villagers met MLA Madkaikar at his residence on Friday morning and discussed their strategy to further intensify the agitation.
Meanwhile, Baptist Pereira, a member of Corlim Civic and Consumer Forum, dismissed the statement made by Industries Minister Mahadev Naik in the media that there is no need to notify his ministry regarding the proposed sale, since the property did not fall within an industrial estate.
“Are we talking about sale of a kiosk? Here, a unit manufacturing hazardous chemicals is about to be handed over to a company which has very poor safety standards,” argued Pereira.
“The lives of thousands of people living within the jurisdiction of the chemical manufacturing unit are at stake,” he said.
The minister, has, however, said the new firm would need to adhere to regulations from Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB), to ensure safety in the premises.
Pereira also said that the CCI’s approval for sale did not mean it was the end of the road for the agitating villagers.
“The CCI is not aware of the ground realities and we are going to petition the CCI on this issue,” said Pereira, adding that the future course of action, including legal recourse, would be decided in due course of time.
When contacted, Syngenta’s CSR Manager (India) Jagadeesha P S said that he was not in a position to offer any comment on the impending sale after CCI approval and also on the proposed agitation by the villagers.
Jagadeesha, who is currently out of station, in fact, then asked The Goan to put forth the questions in writing, so that they could be forwarded to company officials for an appropriate reply.
