Bamani victimization of Vanxim people: electric power supply denied for 14 hours

According to the just received information people of Vanxim are being subjected to the electric victimization due to the strong opposition to the golf course, casinos, spa, helipad project in Vanxim. Indian Central government  has sanctioned Rs  40 lakh for the construction of retaining wall in Vanxim to provide protection to the water bodies that has been demarcated in draft RP-2021 as settlement zone for 'hotel project only' in survey number 8 of Vanxim village in Sao Mathias Panchayat jurisdiction in Tiswadi taluka of India’s Goa State.  This is done to facilitate Bamon Mahendra Gaonekar’s plans for Golf tourism in Vanxim. Golf tourism in Goa has faced strong opposition in Goa ever since it was proposed in 1992 and eight golf course projects are stalled due to opposition.

Vanxim villagers are opposed to this project promoted by Bamon Mahendra Gaonekar in collaboration with a corporate body – The Ozone group. Sao Mathias Panchayat was forced to block this retaining wall after local Panch Greeta Vaz expressed her opposition to the same. Panchayat however instead of rejecting the retaining wall project has kept it on hold in the hope of diluting the opposition to the same.

Yesterday 2^nd September 2012 Ilha de Vanxim Association evening organised meeting in Vanxim to oppose the retaining wall and decide future course of action to oppose bamon inspired retaining wall in Vanxim. As soon as meeting started power failures started to take place five times till 11.00 pm. Street lights were went off.  Then at 11.45 pm again power was off and till the last report came in at 2.00 pm on 3^rd September the power was off non-stop for the period of  14 hours. Engineer Shekar Dhulapkar who is in charge of the electricity supply has been a failure to rectify the situation in spite of public phone calls complaining about the power failures in Vanxim. Maggie Silveira, Mahila Aghadi Goa State Chief of Bharat Mukti Morcha spoke to Engineer Dhulpkar on the power failure in Vanxim and resultant negative consequences such as non working of electric gadgets such as Refrigerators, Cooking gadgets, Fish tanks and the losses suffered due the non-availability of power supply.

It was decided to introduce regular patrolling by electricity department linesmen for the maintainance of electricity infrastructure in Vanxim village in the last gram Sabha on 22^nd July 2012. It is learned that Panchayat secretary delayed writing of minutes for the reasons best known to him. As a result pace of implementation of this decision has been delayed too yet the reasons are not beyond understanding of discerning mind: Bamon Raj.

According to the information available this move has been planned as a revenge against the villagers opposing Bamon Gaunekar  promoted Golf Course project in Vanxim. Vanxim villagers are battling this project ever since they came to know about it in February 2010. The main culprit in this sale of Vanxim has been the Archbishop of Goa Diocese Bamon Felipe Neri Ferrao on whose behalf Vanxim has been sold in 2006 and people are forced into combat mode. His office has facilitated the Bamon-Corporate nexus against the interest of the mulnivasi people. 

The electric victimization of Vanxim people will only further intensify the agitation against Bamon Raj in Goa. Denial of electricity power will only intensify the unleashing of mulnivasi power sooner than later.