Team Goemkarponn
CANACONA: Former judge Ferdin Rebello said that forests, hills and rivers belong to the people and the government only acts as a trustee, not an owner of natural resources.
Speaking at the ‘Enough is Enough’ meet in Canacona, Rebello criticised the government for overstepping its authority and said that under the public trust doctrine, natural resources such as forests, hills and rivers are the people’s rights.
“The government is not the private owner but only a trustee on behalf of the people. It cannot take away the rights of the people under the doctrine of trust,” he said, adding that the government is duty-bound to protect these natural resources and has no authority to destroy them.
Rebello also urged that provisions such as Article 39A and other controversial laws under the Town and Country Planning Act be invoked to safeguard people’s rights.
He further revealed that on January 12, 2026, he had written to the President of India raising concerns over several issues. According to him, the State government recently informed him that the President had forwarded the matter to the State authorities for investigation.
Rebello also referred to several controversial government decisions and said that resolutions passed in Gram Sabhas fall within the framework of law and must be respected by the government.
He warned that the government cannot bulldoze its way in the name of development, stating that large-scale concretisation of natural habitats must remain within the ambit of law and respect people’s right to live in harmony with nature.
At the meeting, tribal researcher Devidas Gaonkar spoke about alleged injustices faced by forest dwellers. Activist Kalpana Bhat highlighted concerns over environmental degradation and pollution caused by outside elements.
Environmentalist Denis Fernandes alleged that natural resources were being exploited and land was being handed over to land mafias.
Veteran journalist Sandesh Prabhudesai questioned the allotment of over 10 lakh square metres of Communidade land on Bhagwati Plateau for a proposed film city, along with other land allocations. He raised concerns over the legality of such allotments, stating that Communidades do not have the authority to sell or allot land for such projects.
He further alleged that the proposed development in Loliem village could lead to commercialisation and large-scale concretisation unrelated to the stated purpose of a film city.
