PANAJI
The Goa legislative Assembly witnessed heated moments during the discussion on the demands for grants pertaining to the Environment and Climate Change department when Benaulim MLA Venzy Viegas demanded the removal of Environment Minister Aleixo Sequeira from the cabinet accusing him of violating environment laws with respect to two properties he owned in Carmona and Chicalim.
Viegas alleged that in Carmona, the minister owned a parcel of land which is partly paddy field and was linked to a water body where there was massive landfilling and other violations.
In another property at Chicalim owned by the Minister, there was massive hill-cutting, Viegas alleged producing documents including Google maps which he placed on the table of the House claiming they clearly provided evidence of his allegations.
Sequeira, who later in his reply admitted that he indeed owned both the properties that Viegas had referred to but denied his allegations that there were any violations of laws in either.
He said, he had not done any mud filling or destroyed any mangroves in the Carmona property and as for the Chicalim property whatever hill cutting and terracing is done was on the orders of the Collector.
