PANJIM: Congress Party in Goa has always respected the sentiments of the people and have dared to cancel its own decisions to uphold the democratic process and the rights of citizens as enshrined in the Constitution of India. We are committed to protect the Identity of Goa and Environment and will continue to be the Voice of the People.
Congress Party will organize a meeting on Saturday 7th November 2020 at 4.00pm to warn the government and raise the Voice against the three projects coming up at Mollem including Railway Double Tracking and to oppose the attempts of the BJP government to convert Goa into a Coal Hub to help Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Crony Club stated GPCC President Girish Chodankar in a press conference held at Congress House today in the presence of Leader of Opposition Digambar Kamat and Ex- Chief Minister Pratapsingh Rane, GPCC Vice President Sankalp Amonkar & Spokesperson Tulio Dsouza.
GPCC President Girish Chodankar further stated that Congress Party has every right to oppose any act of the government which is against the people and categorically stated that the Congress Warriors will continue to fight for peoples right. He said looking at the strong presence of the Congress at Chandor, the BJP along with it’s A, B and C team and NDA partners got rattled. We are not going to bow down to such dirty tricks of the BJP and its allies Girish Chodankar stated.
Congress Party also warns the government not to give Communal color to the peoples agitation against the BJP government failure to protect the Environment and Identity of Goa stated Girish Chodankar. He also warned Chief Minister Dr. Pramod Sawant and Power Minister Nilesh Cabral not to become spokespersons of Crony Capitalists.
GPCC president also urged BJP Government to take Public Hearing on the three projects passing through Wildlife Sanctuaries and Western Ghats.
The three projects passing through the Wildlife Sanctuary & National Park will affect the trees and thousands of animals that live in refuge there and will also have direct effect on our lives. These projects will threaten Goa’s only source of water supply as the rivers are originating from Mollem. Every Goan must come out in open to oppose these devastating projects stated Ex- Chief Minister Pratapsingh Rane.
He said that the land in Mollem, a large part of which is protected as Bhagavn Mahavir Wildlife Sanctuary since 1969 and the Mollem National Park since 1978 needs to be protected forever to maintain ecological balance of Goa. These areas consist of endangered species like Tiger which is our National Animal and Gaur which is our State Animal. National Board of Wildlife is supposed to protect bio-diversity and not give free hand for disturbing and destroying the nature claimed Pratapsingh Rane.
Speaking on the Shel Melauli IIT Project, Pratapsingh Rane said that the government must respect sentiments of locals before finalizing any project. He said that there is ample land available in Goa which can be utilized for the IIT Project. He also emphasised that there is no alternative for Cultivable land.
It was during my tenure as the Chief Minister; I had personally taken then Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh to the MPT Port and had shown him the mismanagement of the Port authorities in handling Coal. He had immediately spoken to the then Shipping Minister G.K. Vasan and urged him to ensure that the process is regularized and no inconvenience is caused to the citizens of Goa said Digambar Kamat.
The Congress government during my regime has always upheld the sentiments of the people and worked for the benefit of the common man Digambar Kamat said.