MARGAO
Goa Forward chief Vijai Sardesai on Friday said that “Save Mollem is an exercise of the constitutional duty as there are specific provisions on environment protection enshrined within the Indian Constitution which every citizen must adhere to.
In response to the Chief Minister’s “external forces” comment, Sardesai highlighted that the people of Goa, and his party are “fulfilling and living out our constitutional duties and there is nothing outside or external to this “ this is a matter of the State and the nation.”
Vijai Sardesai pointed out to the Constitution of India citing Article 51-A (g) which says, ‘it shall be duty of every citizen of India to protect and improve the natural environment including forests, lakes, rivers and wildlife and to have compassion for living creatures.’
He also cited Article 48 -A of the constitution saying, ‘the state shall endeavor to protect and improve the environment and to safeguard the forests and wildlife of the country.’ He further questioned the CM asking why his government “is not protecting and safeguarding the forests and wildlife of the country? Sawant took an oath to abide by the constitution.”
The Goa Forward Chief clarified his outreach to the UNESCO World Heritage Center and International Union of the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) saying “in 1969, India became a State Member of IUCN, through the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), and India is also a ratified state party to the UNESCO World Heritage Convention since 14th November 1977.”
He Sardesai pointed out that the member states have the duty to gives details of how a nature and wildlife property is protected, raising that Mollem region of the Western Ghats is a UNESCO WHC and IUCN protected site, and the 8th hottest biodiversity hotspot.
“If the central and state government cannot exercise its duties, the citizens have every right to raise awareness to these UN supported international bodies”, he said.
While hitting out at the government, he said “India is a member of the global community, and Goa is a global tourism hub. We are not isolationist. If so, why are we hosting Vibrant Goa, and Sunburn, and IFFI? These are also global outreach programs! What is this double standard?”
