Team Goemkarponn
PANAJI: As the agitation against the proposed House of Abhinandan Lodha project at Karapur completes 100 days on July 13, villagers have decided to take their protest to Jantar Mantar in New Delhi, seeking the Central government’s intervention in the matter.
Announcing the move at a press conference on Friday, Enough is Enough Goa spokespersons Swapnesh Sherlekar, Govind Shirodkar and Devidas Amonkar said Karapur residents have given a “Chalo Delhi” call and will stage a one-day demonstration at Jantar Mantar. Simultaneously, the organisation has appealed to Goans to gather at Azad Maidan in Panaji at 5 pm on July 13 in solidarity with the villagers.
The organisation alleged that the proposed five-star project, spread over 4.5 lakh square metres, received permissions after government rules were bent. It claimed the development poses a threat to Karapur village and that the agitation will continue until the project is cancelled.
According to the activists, the Delhi protest is aimed at drawing the Centre’s attention to alleged irregularities surrounding the project, including land ownership and approvals. They said a petition challenging the project has already been filed in court, while the developer has initiated a defamation case against activist Swapnesh Sherlekar in a Mumbai court.
Enough is Enough Goa also alleged that despite the prolonged agitation, neither Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant nor any leader from the ruling party has visited the protest site. The organisation urged people across Goa to join the Panaji demonstration and express support for the villagers’ campaign.
