Team Goemkarponn
PANAJI: What began as a village-level protest against land use approvals under Section 39(A) of the TCP Act snowballed into a major political flashpoint on Saturday after St Andre MLA Viresh Borkar alleged that he was manhandled and dragged by police during a demonstration at the Town and Country Planning (TCP) Department office at Patto.
The protest, led by villagers from Siridao–Palem, was aimed at demanding the revocation of permissions granted under Section 39(A), which residents claim will adversely impact their villages and aggravate future water scarcity. Tensions escalated when police removed Borkar and several villagers from the TCP premises, prompting allegations that women protesters were also manhandled.
The incident quickly took on political overtones, with AAP MLA Venzy Viegas demanding immediate suspension of the Police Inspector involved and a formal inquiry into the conduct of police personnel. Viegas called upon opposition MLAs and citizens to rally at the TCP office and press for scrapping of Section 39(A) and the preparation of a new Regional Plan.
Leader of Opposition Yuri Alemao joined the protesters, backing the villagers’ demand that the land use approvals be revoked. The presence of multiple opposition leaders signaled a broader attempt to consolidate political resistance around the Section 39(A) issue.
Borkar said he contacted Chief Minister Pramod Sawant following the incident, and that the Chief Minister assured him the matter would be looked into. However, Borkar intensified his stance, declaring he was prepared to go on a hunger strike till death if the government failed to address the grievances of Palem–Shirdao residents. He accused the government of ignoring public concerns and warned that unchecked approvals could irreversibly alter village ecology.
Adding another dimension to the controversy, Goa Legislative Assembly Speaker Ganesh Gaonkar reportedly advised Borkar to consider moving a breach of privilege motion if he believed his rights as an MLA had been violated during the police action.
Late Friday night, Revolutionary Goans Party chief Manoj Parab also arrived at the TCP office to express solidarity with the agitating villagers, further underlining the growing political mobilisation around the issue.
