MARGAO
Thousands of protesters joined the Patradevi-Polem Coal Revolt Padayatra by Revolutionary Goans as they traversed along the national highway from Margao to Balli village on foot on Tuesday evening with permission from the Sub-divisional Magistrate, Margao.
Carrying mashals and placards, the padayatris vowed to oppose the contentious projects, including double tracking, coal transportation and the electricity transmission lines.
Led by Revolutionary Goans Chief Manoj Parab, the protesters will traverse the entire 20-km route along the National Highway from Margao before making a halt at Balli village.
The Coal Revolt Patradevi to Polem Padayatra has been taken out by Revolutionary Goans to unite Goans against coal hub, railway double tracking and electricity transmission lines.
Though the padayatra was scheduled to kick start from the Margao KTC bus stand at around 4.30 pm, the plan was delayed as the authorities insisted that the Revolutionary Goans obtain permission from the Sub-divisional Magistrate, Margao before staring the exercise.
This decision followed a meeting chaired by the district Collector around Tuesday noon to review the situation in the light of reports of bursting of fire crackers when the Padayatra reached Davondem- Fatorda around midnight.
Manoj Parab said that he and others were called by the Salcete Mamlatdar on Tuesday evening to ensure that the padayatra remains peaceful throughout the stretch. “We had a meeting with the Mamlatdar and then with the deputy Collector wherein it was decided to grant permission for the padayatra to make it peaceful even though we did not apply for any permission. This shows the government servants are concerned about coal pollution and wanted the padayatra to be successful and peaceful”, he said, adding “irrespective of the government supporting the movement or not, we have received love and support from the government servants”.
