MARGAO
Saying the carrying capacity of Goa has been overexploited resulting in a toll on basic infrastructure, South Goa MP Captain Viriato Fernandes on Thursday said the battle against the mega housing projects across the state will continue till the government put an end to these projects.
While making an appeal to ex-Sancoale Sarpanch Premanand Naik to end his hunger strike, the MP said Premanand has united the people of Goa on the battle against anti-mega housing projects when vested elements made a bold attempt to divide the people on communal lines. “Let us take the battle against mega housing projects to its logical conclusion. I have requested Premanand Naik to call off his hunger strike since the people we are fighting are worse than the British,” he said.
Saying that people of Goa in many areas are facing water scarcity, the MP wondered how come the government has given approval for a project with 120 swimming pools in Pernem Taluka. “Goa cannot bear any more mega projects as our carrying capacity has been overexploited,” he added.
The South Goa MP, who in his weekly interaction with public at the South Goa Collectorate, wondered why the pharmaceutical units at the Verna Industrial Estate do not prefer local candidates. “We have two pharmacy colleges. I am of the firm opinion that all students passing out from these colleges should get 100 per cent placements in the units,” he said.
Captain Viriato has favoured penalising the industrial units in additional to the tanker contractors for discharging effluents into the storm water drains. “The industrial units cannot escape their liability in the event the contractors discharge their effluents in the storm water drains. They should be penalised with huge fines,” he told a delegation from Verna and Nagoa that had called on him to draw his attention to the illegal discharge of effluents by tankers in storm water drains.
Saying that instances of land grabbing continues unabated in the State, the MP said he has received a case of land grabbing from Salcete with the involvement of panchayat officials.
The MP said he would draw the attention of Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to the issues by LIC agents across the country over a condition that they are liable to return their commission in the event the party closes a policy after a year. “When the LIC is giving dividends to the government running into thousands of crores, they cannot be penalised by asking them to return their commission. Even Union Minister Nitin Gadkari has taken up cudgels for the LIC agents,” he said.
