Panaji, Jan 21 (IANS): All the 40 MLAs in the Goa Legislative Assembly should pass a "unanimous resolution" to check any possibility of increased coal handling capacity in the near future, said Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) MLA Churchill Alemao here on Thursday. His statement came amid protests against the Centre's projects which the Opposition has alleged will be used to beef up coal transportation.

Alemao said that he would be moving the resolution when the Legislative Assembly convenes for a brief winter session on Monday.

"All the 40 MLAs should unanimously pass a resolution to put a stop to any possibility of increased coal handling capacity in Goa. Only the existing capacity should be allowed or we have to face the wrath of pollution," Alemao added.

"Once such a resolution is passed, we can bring it to the attention of the central government that Goa is united against the menace of coal," the NCP MLA said.

The winter session of the Assembly which begins on January 25 and will continue till Jan 31 will feature 195 starred and 556 unstarred questions.

A rail, road expansion project as well as an inter-state power transmission line venture have faced opposition politically as well as from the civil society groups. It is claimed that the projects are being pushed at an "express pace" to facilitate movement of coal imported to steel mills in Karnataka's Bellary district and nearby areas through the Mormugao Port Trust facility in Goa.