Loliemkar’s resolves not to allow ‘Film-City’ even before the panchayat receives ESG’s proposal.
Sarpanch will submit resolution to concerned, but says will call special gramsabha if receives ‘Film City’ project proposal officially.
Goemkarponnd esk
CANACONA: In a direct and hands-down retort to the Loliem Communidade, Entertainment Society of Goa (ESG) and Canacona MLA/ GLA Speaker Ramesh Tawadkar, residents of Loliem-Polem successfully passed an unanimous resolution at the Sunday’s opposing any ‘Film-City’ project at Bhagwati Plateau or any non-traditional developments in the village.
Sunday’s gramsabha began with the presence of eight of the nine panch members including the newly elected Sarpanch Nisha Chari and Dy. Sarpanch Chandrakant Sudhir as the Secretary Sandeep Dessai took up the agenda pointwise at times turning the atmosphere hot during discussion on various points.
When, the letters seeking discussion on Film-City project came up for discussion, Sarpanch Nisha Chari quickly responded stating no correspondence or proposals were received by the VP regarding Film City, even as members in the gramsabha countered Sarpanch claims stating the Village panchayat is responsible for obtaining the requisite information for any project proposed in the panchayat area by any person, organisation or any authority and place itr before the Gramsabha for members information and decision.
Gramsabha member Om Prabhugaonkar, stated as a member of Communidade of Loliem he was present at the General Body Meeting of Communidade, where the Communidade of Loliem adopted a resolution to hand over a large area within Loliem –Polem panchayat area belonging to Comunidade of Loliem for Establishment of a Film City. It was further informed that ESG had issued a Public Notice inviting land owners to propose to give their lands for establishing a Film City, to which Loliem Communidade responded and that the local MLA who is also Speaker of Goa Ramesh Tawadkar’s statements revealed his intentions to establish a Film City at Loliem village.
The Gramsabha members expressed shock, disbelief and outrage at the proposal stating several reasons and facts for rejecting the proposal as members raised in the gramsabha.Memberss present agreed that this was an attempt to usurp the village commons for private profit with disastrous consequences to the entire village unless stopped.
Among them, the Gram Sabha members noted that the plateaus of Loliem are the habitat of rich biodiversity and hence, wildlife conservation of the plateaus for the traditional uses is essential for biodiversity and ecological reasons.
It was also pointed out by Gram Sabha members that every ‘photo shoot’ for a film creates huge amounts of garbage, including large amounts of Plaster of Paris, construction material, plastics, and other non-biodegradable and hazardous waste, which the Loliem-Polem panchayat is incapable of handling.
It was also stated that scarce resources of water, electricity, health, employment, roads, etc. would be denied to local communities due to huge increase in population from present 5,000 to 20-25,000 persons (additional people required for the Film City to function), and due to demands from the Film City itself. They also noted that the carrying capacity of Loliem village does not permit any such large projects.
Based on several observations brought to the fore by members, the Gramsabha of Loliem-Polem village panchayat unanimously resolves to reject the proposal to construct a Film City in Loliem village and also rejects the proposal to grant lands belonging to the Communidade of Loliem to Entertainment Society of Goa for the purposed of establishing a Film City or for any other purpose.
2. The Loliem –Polem Village Panchayat shall immediately issue letters to the Commuidade of Loliem, The Entertainment Society of Goa, The Chief Minister of Goa , The Administrator of Communidades (South Zone), The Environment Minister of Goa and the MLA of Canacona constituency enclosing the Gramsabha Resolution , requesting for compliance by immediately dropping the proposal to establish a Film City at Loliem village and asking for all information.
In the third resolution that has been adopted and signed by Sarpanch (CP Loliem-Polem) it is resolved that the Loliem-Polem village panchcyat shall take all steps necessary to conserve the plateaus of Loliem village and prevent the grant of Communidade Lands for the purpose of the Film City or any other purposes that are not traditional uses of the Village Communities and shall take the fight against the Film City proposal and for the conservation of the plateaus up to the highest courts in the country.
The Gramsabha earlier discussed and deliberated over the proposal to establish a Film City at Loliem Village in view of Communidade of Loliem adopted a resolution to give 10.5 lakhs sqm of land to ESG under over 16 differents observations on case-study for rejecting the film city project in Loliem-Polem village.
Interestingly, replying to media queries on the unanimous resolution to reject Film-City in the village, Loliem-Polem Sarpanch Nisha Chari first reiterated the since no proposal came to the panchayat, she cannot coment on the issue, ‘But still, the resolution of today’s Gramsabha will be forwarded to the concerned departments. Besides, referring to more than 200 signatories for Sunday’s Gramsabha, Chari said, ‘We do not have only 200 people in Loliem, but there are more than 200 people in Loliem. We cannot consider the opinion of only 200 people. The day we receive anything official on Film City issue, we will be calling for a special gramsabha, and we will call all the people and take their opinion and decide accordingly.’
To another query , Chari stated there is no political pressure that Film City should happen only in Loliem. ‘No, there is no such political pressure nor there is any pressure from the local people that Film City should happen in Loliem only’.
Incidentally, during discussion Gramsabha member Dennis Fernandes reminded the elected body , that the panchayat is given the function of ‘Maintenance and Preservation of Community Assets’ under item XXIII, (1) and (2) of the Schedule-I of Goa Panchayat Raj Act1994. Panchayat and Gramsabha are bound to preserve the plateaus as Community Assets.
It may be known that besides Communidade of Loliem offering 10.5 lakhs square metres of land on Bhagwati plateau to set up a Film City project, ESG has virtually got its acts in motion, while Canacona MLA/Speaker Ramesh Tawadkar publicly welcome Film City in Loliem village, and also Chief Minister Dr. Pramod Sawant during his speech at IFFI inauguration that he is happy to annoumce that Film City will be set up in Goa under ESG to make Goa a Film Hub, indirectly hinting of Film City in Loliem-Polem.
