Team Goemkarponn
CANACONA – Speaker and Canacona MLA Ramesh Tawadkar’s open support for the controversial Film City project in Loliem has drawn sharp criticism from local environmental activists and villagers, who have accused him of disregarding public sentiment and pushing non-environmental development under the guise of “green projects.”
Addressing media outside the Goa Legislative Assembly on Monday, Tawadkar claimed that the proposed Film City was a part of sustainable development and should not be dismissed due to “habitual opposition to change.” He insisted that the government would consult villagers and the panchayat before making any final decision, stating, “Film City has to come.”
However, activists and village representatives have denounced his remarks as arrogant and misleading. Environmental activist and Gram Sabha member Prashant Pagi refuted Tawadkar’s claim that only “a few people” are opposing the project. “Over 200 members were present at the Gram Sabha and not a single person supported the Film City. That is 100% opposition,” he said.
Dattaprasad Prabhugaonkar, President of the Loliem-Polem Biodiversity Management Committee, emphasized that the Bhagwati plateau is not just land but the community’s heritage. “We will not be cowed down by political arrogance or misinformation. People have stood firm in the past and will continue to do so,” he said.
The criticism intensified with a press note from Citizens Committee of Loliem-Polem Convener Denis Fernandes, who called Tawadkar’s justification of the project as “green” misleading. Citing information accessed via RTI, Fernandes revealed that the Film City’s built-up infrastructure—including accommodation and roads—would cover over 3.5 lakh square metres. “This is clearly not a green project. Either Tawadkar is misinformed or is pushing this agenda for obvious reasons,” he said.
Fernandes also pointed out that over 1,100 locals had signed a petition to the Governor and other authorities, demanding the scrapping of the Film City and other 13 proposed projects, including a cricket stadium, solar plant, and fruit processing units. He questioned how the MLA could claim public support when the Gram Sabha unanimously passed resolutions against all these projects.
“This is not the first time the people of Loliem have resisted harmful development. We rejected the IIT project on the same plateau, and our resistance has only grown stronger,” Fernandes asserted, urging the Speaker to respect the collective will of the people and scrap the proposed projects threatening the ecologically sensitive plateau.
