Panaji: Following the absence of any outcome from their meeting with Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, Chimbel villagers have decided to march towards the Assembly in large numbers on Thursday. They said their agitation will continue until the proposed Unity Mall and Prashasan Stambh projects are scrapped.
On Tuesday, Sawant had called the protesters to his chamber at the Assembly Complex in Porvorim for discussions. Speaking after a meeting with the CM on Wednesday, local resident Govind Shirodkar said no clear assurance was given on cancelling the projects.
“We met the Chief Minister as he had earlier assured us that he would hold discussions on the issue. However, the outcome of the meeting was not fruitful as no final decision was taken. We are firm in our stand and want the Unity Mall and Prashasan Stambh projects scrapped,” Shirodkar said.
He said the CM asked the villagers to withdraw the agitation and assured them that he would study the court order before taking a decision.
On Wednesday, the North Goa Principal District and Sessions Court quashed and set aside the construction licence issued to the Goa Tourism Development Corporation for the projects in Chimbel. The court also set aside the related orders of the Deputy Director of Panchayat and the BDO.
Shirodkar questioned why multiple projects promoted by the Tourism Minister were being taken up only in Chimbel without taking villagers or the panchayat into confidence.
Another villager, Tukaram Kunkalker, said the CM assured that the wetland and Toyyar lake would not be harmed. He said lakes in paddy fields had earlier been damaged due to nearby slums.
Meanwhile, the Chief Minister told reporters that he has appealed to the villagers to call off their agitation and resolve the issue through discussions with the government. “The government is ready to accept their demands, so they should also accept government proposal,” he said.
