Panaji, Oct 4 (TOI): The Congress and Goa Forward Party (GFP) have come out in protest against the nationalization of six rivers in Goa, with the two parties calling for a statewide agitation. Alleging that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government has kept the people of Goa in the dark and failed to hold a meeting of all stakeholders, they termed it as 'a draconian move'.
Goa Pradesh Congress committee (GPCC) and GFP held separate press conferences to announce their opposition to the river nationalization issue. Interestingly, two Congress MLAs joined other political leaders on the Goa Forward platform to protest against the move even as GPCC president Luizinho Faleiro held a press conference minutes later.
Denouncing the proposal to nationalize rivers as a sell-out, five members of the Goa legislative assembly accused the state government of backtracking from its word of consulting all stake holders before going ahead with it.
Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai was joined by Curtorim MLA Reginaldo Lourenco, Porvorim MLA Rohan Khaunte, Santa Cruz MLA Babush Monserrate and Valpoi MLA Vishwajit Rane as they announced the starting of their protest against the move from October 16 from Velim. "The common man has failed to get any benefits from it and moreover, none of the MLAs were consulted beforehand," Sardesai said.
During the press conference held at the Congress House, Faleiro, along with opposition leader Pratapsingh Rane, hit out at the government for putting the interests of private entities and the central government before local needs.
"This decision is draconian, with a sinister motive and has been designed by the Centre to take away the precious rivers of Goa. Such unilateral decisions are a threat to the federal structure," Faleiro said during his press conference.
"There will be a big agitation. We will work out a strategy against casinos, price rise, unemployment, drugs and other issues," Faleiro said.
he Union government had declared six rivers in Goa — Zuari, Mandovi, Sal, Mapusa-Moira, Chapora and Cumbharjua — as part of the national waterways.