Team Goemkarponn
CANACONA: Hundreds of people from Agonda protested against sealing of their tourism establishments in the village, before submitting a memorandum to the Dy. Collector, Canacona.
First over a thousand people gathered at Shivsmarak outside KTC Bus-stand and then in a silent march to the Dy. Collectorate in solidarity with the 67 tourism establishments being sealed at Agonda beach-coast.
A memorandum is submitted to the Dy. Collector, Canacona against the PIL petitioner and their action which is against the people’s interest and villagers livelihood. Displayed slogans as ‘You robbed olur blood and sweat, now face the fire!’, you stole, we roar!’, This land belongs to our forefathers, not of you you fathers, ‘ United we stand, Divided we fall’ against the petitioner Alchemist Asset Reconstruction Company Ltd for filing a PIL on false grounds and obtaining Sealing order of 67 structures.
Janardhan Bhandari, Dharmesh Saglani, Vikas Bhagat, Gaspar Coutinho, Simon Rebello, Pankaj Naikgaunkar, Suraj Naikgaunkar, Agonda Sarpanch Nilesh Pagui, were amongst several leaders, including Taximen, tourism stakeholders of Palolem who extended their support to the affected tourism stakeholders of Agonda.
Speaking before the massive crowd assembled at KTC Bus-Stand Suraj Naik Gaunkar, one of the affected tourism stakeholders made it clear that the protest is not against the government or any of its agencies, but the protest is for our bread and butter and our livelihood. ‘Due to the closure/sealing of tourism businesses, locals/residents are in big trouble. It affects us a lot. That government should find a solution to this problem by giving justice to us all’, Naik Gaonkar.
‘‘These people who are out for revenge, have taken the turtle conservation center as a base thereby killing our tourism businessmen and this will never be tolerated. We will also seek redress in court,” said Dharmesh Saglani, president of the All Goa Shack Owners’ Association, while briefing reporters outside the Cancun Deputy Collector’s office.
‘We agree that turtles should be conserved and tourism should be conserved. Through tourism, 25 people get employment in a shack. The problem of feeding other traders is also associated with this business needs to be solved. Suraj Naik Gaonkar and Pankaj Naik Gaonkar demanded that the government should pay attention to this and give us justice.
The turtle conservation center is on one side and these establishments are 300-500 meters away from the turtle Nesting site and some establishments are located in the upper part of the village. Even those establishments where turtles do not go to lay eggs have been sealed. Vikas Bhagat warned Delhiites have now started bullying Goans and this bullying will not be tolerated.
Later addressing media All Goa Private Property Shacks and Huts Association president Dharmesh Saglani stating it’s a question of our livelihood, said, we go through lots of hard work and determination and build these establishments, we also provide employment to others. Do take Alchemist as a simple company, because it’s not, it’s a multinational company. They had applied the force of not one and two but five Advocates, and if required they can bring another 10 advocates and they are prepared to take the matter up to the Supreme Court, but we Canconkar,doing small time businesses have no capacity to fight this multinational company. Laws, they know and also we know. But, the legal businesses we3 doing for so many years, we have licences, and whatever permits the government has given to us legally, we are running our establishments’. Saglani said, further informing this same judgements can be applied on other beaches of Goa and elsewhere,’If today it is in Agonda, tomorrow it can be Morjim, Mandrem, or anywhere, that’s why government has to study this matter, and if whatever remains to be done legally that should be completed and help us. ‘We will seek redress in the court’
Saglani also appealed to Canacona MLA and Speaker Ramesh Tawadkar, who has helped us by taking us to Chief Minister and hearing our grievances, had given an assurance that the government will assist us in whatever legal ways possible.
Making a startling and notable point, Saglani stating that a house is sealed on the hill-top at Agonda, questioned whether Turtle comes on the Hills to lay eggs.
CMC Councillor Shubham Komarpant, and
GFP Environment Cell Chairman Vikas Bhagat, Pankaj Naikgaunkar,
Former Canacona MLA Vijay Pai Khot, Goa Forward Party General Secretary Prashant Naik, Mohandas Lolayekar, Congress’ Janardan Bhandari, Revolutionary Goans Party’s Prashant Pagi, CMC Councillors Shubham Komarpant, Simon Rebelo, office bearers of various social organizations and others were present to support the march. Meanwhile, Dy Collector in a delayed exercise continued with the Sealing exercise of the remaining 13 Structures of the 67 tourism establishments ordered by High Court.-END
