Objection to Tourism master plan and tourism policy - 2018

With reference to Goa Tourism Master Pan and policy posted at the Goa Tourism Department website at the links below is at attempt by industry to take control of Goa's Politics and 

Economy through the cunning manner.

http://goatourism.gov.in/images/module_4.pdf

Goa Tourism Master plan provides the framework for implementation of the master plan that has a vision to make Goa the most preferred destination around the year for the high spending tourists in India by 2023 and World Class, international tourism destination by 2030.

Reading of the document reveals that the entire exercise is orchestrated by two organisations that seeks to take control of the State of Goa's tourism decision making by forming "Goa Tourism Board" as a statutory autonomous body that will make promote privatisation of Goa Tourism Development Corporation Assets and will have sort of supra status like that of Investment Promotion and Facilitation Board formed with Chief Minister as its Chairman.

It is proposed that Tourism Minister will be the Chairman of the Goa Tourism Board and industry has its trickster in place in post of Vice Chairman who will be nominated by the five industry representatives alone in the board. Out of these five members two are named 1. President/managing Committee member of Travel and Tourism Association of Goa 2. Goa Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Trick that is hoped will get Goa's total tourism under Industry control as the provisions are well laid out to enact a conspiracy. In the absence of Minister of Tourism to chair the meeting, Vice-Chairman will do so. Where the Tourism Minister will be sent on the day of the meeting is best left for guessing. The point however is clear that Industry the the two named organisations is desperate to stage coup in Goa Tourism affairs.

And all this is done for what purpose? To satisfy the masters. And who are the masters? The rich of the world. And who are to be enslaved? People and Land, Rivers and Ethics. And projects these guys want to promote by centralising Goa tourism? Golf Courses, Casinos, Gaming and Marinas. Golf Courses were opposed in Goa from 1997 onward from Canaguinim-Betul, Amthane, Bambolim, Asvem, Morjim, Harmal, Tiracol and Vanxim. Industry Captains through Goa Tourism Board will get Department of Tourism to go for  Land Acquisition for these projects. Casinos and Gaming will be relocated to more suitable undisclosed location. It does not mention Zuari river for obvious reasons and will be upgraded. Gambling and Gaming are by their essence are morally objectionable enterprises irrespective amount of people employed or amount of revenue earned. Casinos has to be shut down and industry must be dismantled for it is easiest source of turning black money into white. 

We have not forgotten that after mischievous leasing of Zuari river public protests has not allowed to construct any of the two marinas either in Nauxim or in Sancoale coast from 2010. Yet Goa Tourism Board hopes to achieve this feat, perhaps by pushing one marina at a time, first the Nauxim one. Instead of getting the marinas in Zuari its better to scrap the marina to its abyss!

It is proposed that High Powered Monitoring Committee for Tourism will be dissolved and Goa Tourism Board will take its functions. This board will give permissions to all the tourism related events. What is left of Panchayats? Nothing! All the command activities of Goa Tourism Development Corporation to be handed over to private sector over the next 10 years as advised by Goa Tourism Board! 

What is stunning is that Goa Tourism Board plans to take over functions of even Environment Ministry of regeneration of beaches. But there is a catch there is also going to be Blue Flag Certification for beaches something that was opposed in case of Velsao Beach following protests by fishing communities and MLA Alina Saldanha. Goa Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) are hardly known to do such things but they want to do such things and then permit shacks right the edge of the beach for special people. The people who carried on businesses on beaches has no representation on the Goa Tourism Board as they don't find favour with industry fathers trying to hijack  Goa's tourism for the filth rich of the world.

In fact its environmental commitment is dubious as it proposes to facilitate river cruises in in Goa's inland waterways. They no longer even call them rivers! Even identity of nature is sabotaged. Its waterways now after Central Government invasion of Goa's rivers turned into waterways. It agenda is in line with Sagarmala project of constructing more jetties on Goa's river banks.

The first sufferers in the master plan as per above mentioned plans are going to be fishing communities who are not even acknowledged to have been even existing anywhere in Goa! The second line of suffers are the people of Goa who cherish fish as part of their daily staple diet.

Bharat Mukti Morcha strongly oppose Tourism master Plan and Tourism Policy - 2018 and calls upon all sections of society not only to oppose by also to hold accountable all the members of Goa Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) as well as Travel and Tourism Association of Goa (TTAG) for all their past and present economic, social and environmental sins. 

Tribute to Diego Francis Rodrigues of Tiracol

Diego Francis Rodrigues from Tiracol died on Monday, July 30, 2018 after a brief illness of three days or so and funeral rites took place on Tuesday, July 31, 2018 at St. Anthony’s church, Tiracol with Holy sacrifice of mass. Diego was known to me from 1992 for 25 years. I remember his active presence at several protests in Panjim and other sites in Pernem organized by Jagrut Goenkarachi Fauz (JGF) and Pernem Nagrik Vikas Samiti (PNVS). The protests were against several tourism projects proposed for Pernem coast.

Although we did not cross into Tiracol during our walking expedition and ended in Keri village Diego came to know about it after a day and was active participant in all the subsequent planned protests mainly in Panjim.

In 1993 Diego called me to visit Tiracol in my capacity as Journalist covering Pernem for Herald. I visited him and he shared threats to health faced by entire Tiracol village due to Gastroenteritis epidemic due to pollution caused by Usha Isapat steel plant across Maharashtra border at Redi. He wanted me to publish and this story did get published and authorities did act on in Tiracol people got relief.

For past few decades Diego was often elected unopposed to the Keri Panchayat and even served as a Sarpanch of Keri village Panchayat.

A decade ago when it was proposed to set up Golf Course in Tiracol and Vishwajit Rane moved application for the change in land use Diego again got into active resistence. He organized and networked with several people, petitioned several judicial courts including NGT and malatdar’s court and even scored breakthroughs in number of times putting crucial spokes in the way of Leading Hotels taking control of the village land to construct Golf Course and starred hotel.

At the Funeral several people women and men, educated and uneducated were seen weeping for the love and care of Diego was far wider and deeper than the width and depth of his grave in sandy shore of Tiracol cemetery. It is a rare sight that a lawyer would cry openly for the death of a client and it was witnessed at Diego’s funeral.

It is a rarest of the rare occasion to witness Parish Priest crying bitterly at the grave of the dead Parishioner, yet it was witnessed in Tiracol at Diego’s funeral. It is near impossible that a death of an active citizen be compared to the assassination of the Archbishop of the Catholic Church. Yet Death of Diego was compared to the Assassination of Archbishop Oscar Romero of El Salvador in terms of the wide despair the death has caused and yearnings for new crop of leadership to emerge.

Is Archdiocese of Goa ready to nurture this Hope and a Promise? Is Leadership of the Goa Archdiocese ready to address the question of leadership crisis of the Catholic of Goa? Diego Francis Rodrigues was a great leader. He would move alone with piles of paper in his hand traveling in buses or hired bikes or hitch lifts to fulfill his mission tasks. I met him several times on the streets of Panjim moving from one office to another, always resourceful in his sharing although in his sixties.

Diego’s courage was tested in the past decade. It was tested when bouncers were stationed, trees were forcefully cut down and road construction undertaken at the middle of the night in Tiracol. Diego moved official administration and mobilized public support to condemn the predator attack.

Diego was at his courageous best when he confronted then Chief Minister Laximikant Parsekar at the bridge inauguration connecting Keri to Kiranpani just before 2017 Assembly elections. In fact Diego was one of the key persons that was responsible for the historic defeat of Parsekar in Mandrem constituency and victory of Dayanand Sopte. Diego however was upset due to BJP forming government in Goa with Defence Minister of India being sent to Goa as Chief Minister.

Diego confronted Diocesan authorities in 2010 when news broke about sale of Vanxim island. He visited Vanxim to support protesting villagers.

Even though there is so much to write about Diego, key issue of leadership needs immediate attention. Will Catholic Colleges of Goa rise to the occasion to revive AICUF to generate leadership for Justice and Peace among students to steer Goa’s future ahead?

Sebastiao Rodrigues 

(This is an uncensored version of article published in Herald on August 03, 2018)

Water sports disrupts fishing in Zuari river

Date: 08/03/2017

To,

Secretary (Fisheries),

Directorate of Fisheries,

Panjim, Goa

To,

Superintendent of Police (Coastal Security),

Panjim, Goa

Subject: Water sports activities in Zuari close to Shores of Siridao, Bambolim, Nauxim, Cacra and Odxel disrupting fishing activities

Dear Sir,

There has been sudden rise in the incidents of disruption of fishing activities in Zuari river very close to coast of Siridao, Bambolim, Nauxim, Cacra and Odxel due to water sports activities of Aqua sail.

Kindly take action in this regard and stop water sports activities in Zuari.

Thanking you,

Yours Sincerely,

     Sd/-

Maggie Silveira,

President, Goa State

      Sd/-

Sanjay Pereira

Convener, Cacra unit  

       Sd/-

Rohidas Andrade

Convener, Bambolim unit

      Sd/-

Soccoro Braganza

Convener, Siridao Unit

      Sd/-

Anthony Cardozo

Convener, Curca Unit

      Sd/-

Sitaram Pereira

Convener, Odxel Unit

     Sd/-

Milind Palkar

Convener, Nauxi unit

      Sd/-

Chandrakant Lotlikar

Secretary, Siridao Unit

     Sd/-

Hanuman Dias

Co-convenor, Odxel Unit

     Sd/-

Honu Dinkar,

Co-convener, Odxel Unit

     Sd/-

Deu Kankonkar

Secretary, Nauxi Unit

           Sd/-

Yeshwant Shirodkar,

Co-convener, Odxel Unit

           Sd/-

Manguesh Sawant,

Co-convener

Odxel unit

       Sd/-

Amir Mardolkar,

Co-convener,

Nauxim Unit

      Sd/-

Francis Coelho,

Co-convener,

Nauxim Unit

      Sd/-

Dulba Pereira,

Co-convener,

Cacra Unit

      Sd/-

Santosh Gauns,

Co-convener,

Cacra Unit 

      Sd/-

Sheila D’mello,

Co-convener, Cacra Unit

       Sd/-

Santosh Kukalkar,

Co-convener, Cacra unit

Opposition to water sports continued and Fisheries Minister Avertano Furtado betrayed public and granted NOC as un-elected corporate represetnative

How then Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar fooled public and decided against traditional fishermen

Permission for water sports in Zuari under condition that activities of traditional fishermen must but not be hindered

Bambolim Panchayat letter on water sports affecting negatively fishing in Zuari River

Goa Tourism Master Plan 2016: who are masters? Who are slaves?

Press release: Goa Tourism Master Plan

This interim tourism Master Plan and Policy was put up on website www.goatourism.gov.in  on 24^th August 2016

Module 3 last date for comments was 4^th September 2016. Objections were to be mailed to goatourismmasterplan@gmail.com

Public was given 16 days for comments, pretty atrocious by any standards.

 Bharat Mukti Morcha objects following and shares here for public awareness purpose:

1.      Page 15: Consider the entire State as tourism development area. Culture of Goa is fishing and agriculture. It must be protected from tourism at all costs.

2.      Page 23: Fishermen Market and F&B Court at Britona, Siridao and Mobor. Captioned as Goa’s number one source of fresh sea food.” Domestic consumers of fish to be deprived as fish will be costly and with demands from tourism.

3.      Page 24: High End music venue paired with luxury lifestyle resort in Baga, Calangute and Candolim Beach with biggest clubs in India in one of these three beaches.

4.      Page 24: High end lifestyle beach club paired with luxury lifestyle resort at Cavelossim, Palolem, Arambol, Vagathor and Anjuna Beach with day and night atmosphere of music.

5.      Page 25: Eco-beach (Resort): Pure Eco-beach and Eco Resorts at Querim, Mandrem, and Morjim in Pernem and Agonda, Patnem and Palolem, Talpona and Galgibag beach. Captioned as “Built in harmony with nature and hence with minor impact on environment.”

6.       Page 25: Marinas in Mandovi river at Britonna, Nauxi Bay and Chicalim. Fishermen directly affected. There is already opposition to the same from 2010.

7.      Page 31: Cultural Events, Music day and night atmosphere. Actually there will be drinks and food. This must not be allowed where St. Francis Xavier walked. Old Goa is a place of religious sanctity. This must be rejected, and Religious values must not be hurt.

8.      Page 32: Goa Multicultural experience at Old Goa Church. Has office of the Archbishop of Goa endorsed this? Or is it another scam like Vanxim sale? For the said purpose the Archeology Survey of India has given permission? As it is place of complete sanctify of high religious values.

9.      Page 36: Discovery River Cruises: Chapora River, Cumbharjua canal, Mandovi River and Zuari River. Tourism has already caused irreversible damage to Goa’s beaches. Fishermen are to be directly impacted through dredging as well as tourism through boat rides.

10.  Page 37: Divar island along with eastern Goa has been demarcated for “Slow Movement Wellness centres”. There is already one such centre in Divar that releases its effluent in Mandovi river near Vanxim. Tourism Master Plan is silent on what is to be done with such cases. In module 2 page nos 47 & 48 in fact names this entity as Devaaya – Ayurveda and Nature Cure Centre. Can continues daily release of effluents in Mandovi river part of its ethics? Part of Tourism Department ethics? Daily release of effluents gives out obnoxious odor to people around as well as staff of Ferry services plying between Vanxim and Divar.

11.  Page 37: Nature Sanctuaries to be opened up for tourism. This is disruption of wild life. The question about cordoning off access to forest for tribal people and blockade to through digging of trenches to prevent cattle grazing of tribal people has been kept under wraps.

12.  Page 42: Waterfront Promenades  (dancing floors on land at water’s edge) at Old Goa, Chapora, Panjim, Mayem lake and Colva beach. This is a must to stop as it would cause lot of social damage to everyone especially the youth.

13.  Page 42: Family Entertainment District inclusive of Themed Park. Entire Pernem Taluka is marked with pointer towards proposed Mopa Airport and termed as “District”. Goa already has two districts. Is Pernem going to be third district? Are People of Goa taken in confidence on declaring Pernem Taluka as third district? Captioned as “A leisure and entertainment hub for the family offering a themed park, F&B, shopping, and accommodation.” Pernem already has Golf Course proposal in Tiracol along with luxury hotel of Leading Hotels. Mopa airport EIA records plans for Golf Course in Mopa itself. Luxury hotels are shown in beaches of Pernem a Querim, Mandrem, and Morjim.

14.   Page 43: Chapora Bay and Chicalim Bay has been proposed as Gaming districts. This means Panjim off shore casinos will be shifted at these two venues. Two areas will be marked exclusively for casinos and this is direct blow to fishing allied activities.

15.  Page 43: Up-gradation of nightlife across Goa. People of Goa must be prepared to go without sleep. Night life must be stopped completely as it is destruction of Youth. Many Youth are hooked on drugs due to such night life parties. Even school students are attracted to this menace.

16.  Page 44: Golf Course at Mopa. There is already opposition to Golf Courses in Tiracol and Vanxim. Water requirement for maintaining of Golf Course is not mentioned.

17.  Page 48: Mass Events at Vagator beach, Candolim beach and Shyma Prasad Indoor Stadium. Are local people consulted before making this proposal public? We object such mass events.

18.  Page 55: Mode of Transport through water is in direct confrontation with fishermen. Cruise Terminal at MPT is mentioned as attracting international cruise travelers. MPT is also causing harm to local fishermen at Khariavaddo. Then Sea based inter-state transportation of tourists is proposed at Tiracol Fort, Chapora River Basin, Fort Aguada, Dona Paula/ Panjim-Old Goa, Mormugao Port, Colva beach, Mobor Beach/ River Sal/ Cabo-de-Rama, River Talpona/ Polem. Jetties are proposed to be built in these venues.  These Jetties then can support Ferry Services, Catamaran Ferry, Sea Buses, Speed boats and Sea Planes to ferry tourists.

19.  Page 55: Mopa Aiport is expected to handle 13.1 million passengers by 2036 with focus on Free Independent Travellers (FITs). Mopa airport is not needed when Dabolim serve Goa well.

20.  Page 75 of module 2 proposes State subsidy for Hotels as well as single window clearances. It is using public funds for public ruin. BMM opposes the same.

Goa government tourism department believes that people of Goa are incapable to plan their own future and needs Swiss agency to draw up the Tourism master plan and policy for Goa. Goa is fully equipped with qualified personalities do to the required success oriented requirements to up lift Goa’s Development as required by Goans.

The nomenclature used is “Tourism Master Plan” One such Tourism Master Plan was opposed chiefly by students and youth in 1987. Now after 29 years another one is proposed.

Who is a master? Who is a Slave? If there is a master plan there has to somebody who is to be enslaved. Needlessly this nomenclature of “Master Plan” does not fit. And target of enslavement are People of Goa, Land of Goa and Ecology of Goa.

We call upon the People of Goa to read, study & we need to move fast and decisively to object the Tourism Master Plan 2016. It is mentioned in that it’s a draft which could be final – So lets go for it as committed Goans, for us & our future Generations.

 Sd/-

Maggie Silveira

President

Goa State Unit

Objections before the Chief Executive Engineer against retaining wall

Date: 26^th April 2016

To,

The Executive Engineer,
Water Resources Department,
Works division I,
Panjim, Goa

Subject: Objections to construction of retaining wall around Vanxim by Ozone Leisure and Resort Pvt Ltd

Sir,

We have come to know that Ozone Leisure and Resort Pvt Ltd through Gajanand Karkare and Mahendra P. Gaunekar have requested your permission/ approval for construction of the retaining wall around Vanxim Island in Tiswadi.

We write to object this retaining wall proposal as the entire involvement of Ozone Leisure and Resort Pvt Ltd in Vanxim is fraud and we urge you not to be part of the same by granting approval. Even though we have filed our objections to the Governor of Goa as well as the Chief Minister of Goa who is the Chairman of the Investment Promotion Board, we wish to repeat the same for your information.

1.    The entire island is CRZ area and No development Zone. Besides island has Khazan land as well as low lying Paddy fields. Section 8 (iv) of the Goa Investment Promotion Act 2014 placed restriction on Board recommending Coastal Regulation Zone Areas for setting up of projects under this Act.

2. Investment Promotion Board has never conducted site inspection to verify the nature of land in Vanxim. Vanxim is an island in Mandovi River and CRZ regulations are applicable on all sides. Besides it is also low lying area with biologically active mud flats, Khazan land, thick mangroves which cannot be touched by law including sluice gates.

3. The transfer of occupancy rights from Santa Monica of Old Goa to Ozone Leisure and Resorts Pvt Ltd are fraud as it is effected with cases against tenants for condonation of delay in Deputy Collectors’ office in Panjim when deputy collector has no powers to entertain such cases. The powers rests with Administrative Tribunal and hence entire occupancy rights in favor of Ozone Leisure and Resorts Pvt Ltd is void. We have called for Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe against the two former deputy collectors involved in this scam namely Shabaji Shetye and Sanjeev Desai. Everybody wants to know why CBI is not investigating after knowing that it is a fraud. Is this what BJP government is meant by zero tolerance to corruption?

4. Investment Promotion Board is outsourcing of cabinet powers to private entities under Goa Investment Promotion Act 2014. This law overrides Panchayati Raj Act, TCP Act as well as Land Revenue Code and Regional Plan besides making mockery of the democratic system. Through this law democracy has been replaced with dictatorship. The elected representatives who supported this law have either not applied their minds or willfully betrayed their voters. The transfer of powers of Cabinet to the private actors spread out all over the country and beyond is unacceptable, as the People living in Vanxim knows what hardships they went through right from their childhood till date and we don’t want anyone to take advantage of our people. We do not support this law and it must be repealed with immediate effect. We urge you to reject the Investment Promotion Board recommendation for land conversions in Vanxim.

5. The decision of the Investment Promotion Board to bully Town Country Planning Department into getting ecologically sensitive areas of Vanxim is motivated by high level of political interference and we have already called for CBI probe into these links involving Indian Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, His secretary Krishnamurthy and Krishnamurthy’s wife Sejla Chawla Krishnamurthy who is Deputy General Manager at Ozone Leisure and Resorts Pvt Ltd. We have already called for CBI investigations into this nexus reported by Prime TV Channel in Goa.

6. Occupancy rights on tenanted land in Vanxim (Capao) have been transferred to Ozone Leisure and Resorts Pvt Ltd by Archbishop Felipe Neri Ferrao via Mahendra Gaunekar violating Tenancy law and Canon law by selling land without informing tenants. The tenants and the People of Vanxim were not aware and were never informed that the Agreement to Sale signed in 1999 and sale deed was registered in 2006. Only after four years of the registration of the sale deed Vanxim People came to know about the same when some people from Vanxim were taken to Bicholim and made to put their thumb on documents and offered cash. These people who put their thumb did not know to read and write. So total manipulation and fraudulency involved. Few from amongst those who knew to read and write asked for documents and then the entire game plan was revealed followed by which we went in for RTIs and got all details. We have called for CBI investigations into this aspect too.

7. There has been opposition to this project at Malar Panchayat Gram Sabhas as well as Town and Country Planning office. Now Investment Promotion Board decision on Vanxim is a coup-d’état against every democratic institution on ground and complete insult to these institutions. Democracy has been replaced with Dictatorship and Goa has been converted into Colony open for abuse. The political consequences of Goa Investment Promotion Act 2014 is loot and plunder of Goa’s land, and Jurisprudential value of this Act can best be compared to an assembly of thieves gathering in the middle of the city hall and proclaiming their decree. It is unfortunate that Constitutional authority – Governor of Goa – has given assent to this to make it a law.

8. Goa Investment Promotion Act 2014 is direct violation of not only Article 48-A and Article 51 –A (g) but also of Article 21(Right to life) of the Indian Constitution. Supreme Court relying on Article 21 declared in M.C. Mehta V/s Union of India (1987) that life; public health and ecology have priority over unemployment and loss of revenue.

9. In M.C.Mehta V/s Union of India (1997) the Supreme Court of India has enunciated the doctrine of “Public Trust”, based on the legal theory of the Roman Empire. The idea of this theory is that certain common properties such as rivers, sea shores, forests, and the air were held by the Government in trusteeship for the free and unimpeded use of the general public. The resources like air, sea, waters and forests have such a great importance to the people as a whole, that it would be totally unjustified to make them a subject of private ownership. The concept “environment” bears a very close relationship with this doctrine. The doctrine enjoins upon the resources for the enjoyment of the general public, rather to permit their use for private ownership or commercial purposes. Goa Investment Promotion Act 2014 is precise infringement of this Public Trust Doctrine as right to life.

10. Investment Promotion Act 2014 is direct contravention of directive principle of State policy under Article 48-A of the Indian constitution that states as “Protection and improvement of Environment and safeguarding of forests and wild life - The State shall endeavor to protect and improve the environment and to safeguard the forests and wild life of the country.

11. Further under Article 51-A (g) it is a fundamental duty of every citizen of India “to protect and improve the natural environment including forests, lakes, rivers and wild life, and to have compassion for living creatures.” In exercise of our duty under Article 51-A (g) we call upon you to reject any proposal to of converting land in Vanxim Island as settlement zone for construction of luxury villas, 5 star hotel, resort and Golf course.

12. There are serious civil law and canon law frauds involved in the manner in which Vanxim has been sold. For further details visit the link below:

www.bharatmukti.blogspot.in/2015/12/civil-and-canon-law-fraud-canon-law-fraud-commited-by.html

We call upon you not to grant any approval /permission for construction of retaining wall around Vanxim Island in Mandovi River.

Thanking you,

Yours sincerely,

      Sd/-

Maggie Silveira,

President,

Goa State Unit

Objections to construction of retaining wall around Vanxim by Ozone Leisure and Resort Pvt Ltd

Date: 26^th April 2016

To,

The Minister of Water Resources,

Secretariat, Porvorim, Goa

To,

The Chief Engineer,

Water Resources Department,

Porvorim, Goa

To,

The Chief Executive Director,

Investment Promotion & Facilitation Board (IPB – Goa),

Cabin no. 20, Ground Floor,

Secretariat,

Porvorim, Goa

Subject: Objections to construction of retaining wall around Vanxim by Ozone Leisure and Resort Pvt Ltd

Sir,

We have come to know that Ozone Leisure and Resort Pvt Ltd through Gajanand Karkare and Mahendra P. Gaunekar have requested your permission/ approval for construction of the retaining wall around Vanxim Island in Tiswadi.

We write to object this retaining wall proposal as the entire involvement of Ozone Leisure and Resort Pvt Ltd in Vanxim is fraud and we urge you not to be part of the same by granting approval. Even though we have filed our objections to the Governor of Goa as well as the Chief Minister of Goa who is the Chairman of the Investment Promotion Board, we wish to repeat the same for your information.

1.    The entire island is CRZ area and No development Zone. Besides island has Khazan land as well as low lying Paddy fields. Section 8 (iv) of the Goa Investment Promotion Act 2014 placed restriction on Board recommending Coastal Regulation Zone Areas for setting up of projects under this Act.

2. Investment Promotion Board has never conducted site inspection to verify the nature of land in Vanxim. Vanxim is an island in Mandovi River and CRZ regulations are applicable on all sides. Besides it is also low lying area with biologically active mud flats, Khazan land, thick mangroves which cannot be touched by law including sluice gates.

3. The transfer of occupancy rights from Santa Monica of Old Goa to Ozone Leisure and Resorts Pvt Ltd are fraud as it is effected with cases against tenants for condonation of delay in Deputy Collectors’ office in Panjim when deputy collector has no powers to entertain such cases. The powers rests with Administrative Tribunal and hence entire occupancy rights in favor of Ozone Leisure and Resorts Pvt Ltd is void. We have called for Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe against the two former deputy collectors involved in this scam namely Shabaji Shetye and Sanjeev Desai. Everybody wants to know why CBI is not investigating after knowing that it is a fraud. Is this what BJP government is meant by zero tolerance to corruption?

4. Investment Promotion Board is outsourcing of cabinet powers to private entities under Goa Investment Promotion Act 2014. This law overrides Panchayati Raj Act, TCP Act as well as Land Revenue Code and Regional Plan besides making mockery of the democratic system. Through this law democracy has been replaced with dictatorship. The elected representatives who supported this law have either not applied their minds or willfully betrayed their voters. The transfer of powers of Cabinet to the private actors spread out all over the country and beyond is unacceptable, as the People living in Vanxim knows what hardships they went through right from their childhood till date and we don’t want anyone to take advantage of our people. We do not support this law and it must be repealed with immediate effect. We urge you to reject the Investment Promotion Board recommendation for land conversions in Vanxim.

5. The decision of the Investment Promotion Board to bully Town Country Planning Department into getting ecologically sensitive areas of Vanxim is motivated by high level of political interference and we have already called for CBI probe into these links involving Indian Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, His secretary Krishnamurthy and Krishnamurthy’s wife Sejla Chawla Krishnamurthy who is Deputy General Manager at Ozone Leisure and Resorts Pvt Ltd. We have already called for CBI investigations into this nexus reported by Prime TV Channel in Goa.

6. Occupancy rights on tenanted land in Vanxim (Capao) have been transferred to Ozone Leisure and Resorts Pvt Ltd by Archbishop Felipe Neri Ferrao via Mahendra Gaunekar violating Tenancy law and Canon law by selling land without informing tenants. The tenants and the People of Vanxim were not aware and were never informed that the Agreement to Sale signed in 1999 and sale deed was registered in 2006. Only after four years of the registration of the sale deed Vanxim People came to know about the same when some people from Vanxim were taken to Bicholim and made to put their thumb on documents and offered cash. These people who put their thumb did not know to read and write. So total manipulation and fraudulency involved. Few from amongst those who knew to read and write asked for documents and then the entire game plan was revealed followed by which we went in for RTIs and got all details. We have called for CBI investigations into this aspect too.

7. There has been opposition to this project at Malar Panchayat Gram Sabhas as well as Town and Country Planning office. Now Investment Promotion Board decision on Vanxim is a coup-d’état against every democratic institution on ground and complete insult to these institutions. Democracy has been replaced with Dictatorship and Goa has been converted into Colony open for abuse. The political consequences of Goa Investment Promotion Act 2014 is loot and plunder of Goa’s land, and Jurisprudential value of this Act can best be compared to an assembly of thieves gathering in the middle of the city hall and proclaiming their decree. It is unfortunate that Constitutional authority – Governor of Goa – has given assent to this to make it a law.

8. Goa Investment Promotion Act 2014 is direct violation of not only Article 48-A and Article 51 –A (g) but also of Article 21(Right to life) of the Indian Constitution. Supreme Court relying on Article 21 declared in M.C. Mehta V/s Union of India (1987) that life; public health and ecology have priority over unemployment and loss of revenue.

9. In M.C.Mehta V/s Union of India (1997) the Supreme Court of India has enunciated the doctrine of “Public Trust”, based on the legal theory of the Roman Empire. The idea of this theory is that certain common properties such as rivers, sea shores, forests, and the air were held by the Government in trusteeship for the free and unimpeded use of the general public. The resources like air, sea, waters and forests have such a great importance to the people as a whole, that it would be totally unjustified to make them a subject of private ownership. The concept “environment” bears a very close relationship with this doctrine. The doctrine enjoins upon the resources for the enjoyment of the general public, rather to permit their use for private ownership or commercial purposes. Goa Investment Promotion Act 2014 is precise infringement of this Public Trust Doctrine as right to life.

10. Investment Promotion Act 2014 is direct contravention of directive principle of State policy under Article 48-A of the Indian constitution that states as “Protection and improvement of Environment and safeguarding of forests and wild life - The State shall endeavor to protect and improve the environment and to safeguard the forests and wild life of the country.

11. Further under Article 51-A (g) it is a fundamental duty of every citizen of India “to protect and improve the natural environment including forests, lakes, rivers and wild life, and to have compassion for living creatures.” In exercise of our duty under Article 51-A (g) we call upon you to reject any proposal to of converting land in Vanxim Island as settlement zone for construction of luxury villas, 5 star hotel, resort and Golf course.

12. There are serious civil law and canon law frauds involved in the manner in which Vanxim has been sold. For further details visit the link below:

www.bharatmukti.blogspot.in/2015/12/civil-and-canon-law-fraud-canon-law-fraud-commited-by.html

We call upon you not to grant any approval /permission for construction of retaining wall around Vanxim Island in Mandovi River.

Thanking you,

Yours sincerely,

 Sd/-

Maggie Silveira,

President,

Goa State Unit