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http://www.navhindtimes.com/stories.php?part=news&Story_ID=111224
Mapusa meet calls for withdrawal of PDA Ordinance before Nov 24 NT News Service Mapusa Nov 11: The Governor, Mr S C Jamir, the Chief Minister, Mr Pratapsing Rane and the Town and Country Planning Minister, Mr Atanasio Monseratte came in for harsh criticism as the anti-PDA movement snowballed into Mapusa today.Even the Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party came in for flak for its silence over the PDA Ordinance as speaker after speaker from across Goa issued a clarion call to Goans to rise and defeat the draconian ordinance to save Goa for their children. Importantly, the speakers also issued a warning to the government that if the Ordinance is not withdrawn before November 24, they will come out on the streets of Panaji and not allow the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) to happen. Today�s meeting at the Mapusa taxi stand was jointly organised by the Goa Environment Action Group, the Mapusa Active Citizens Forum (MACU) and the Goa Su-Raj Party to demand the immediate withdrawal of the TCP Ordinance, the complete scrapping of the Planning and Development Authorities and the safeguarding of a clean, green and orderly Goa. The anti-PDA spearhead, the St Cruz MLA, Ms Victoria Fernandes exhorted all Goans to fight the ordinance tooth and nail because it not only affects St Cruz constituency but entire Goa. Stating that the ordinance was hurriedly passed to sell Goa, she called upon the assembled people to prevent Goa from being turned into a concrete jungle and to protect its environment and beauty. In a bitter attack on the Town and Country Planning Minister, Mr Monseratte, she said that being a wealthy man, he neither knew nor cared for the hardships of the common people. But she expressed surprise at how a Chief Minister, who was an agriculturist could meekly agree to such an ordinance. The former Cumbarjua MLA, Ms Nirmala Sawant also criticised the Ordinance. She said the dictatorial government was using unconstitutional means to subvert the wishes of the people by passing the Ordinance. Ms Sawant exhorted the people to fight against the unfair ordinance to save Goa from being sold to private outside companies those have no qualms about the environment or well being of the common people of the state. The firebrand state president of the Goa Su-Raj party, Mr Floriano Lobo compered the function. The president of MACU, Dr Boney Pereira, the St Cruz Action Committee member, Mr Guirish Uskaikar, the Merces sarpanch, Ms Jyoti Palekar, the South Goa Public Interest Action Group member, Mr Godfrey Gonsalves, the Assagao Action Committee, Mr Rajan Ghate, Penha-da-Franca Citizens Forum, Mr Agnelo Pereira, All Goa Mechants Federation president, Mr Narayan Karekar and Calangute social worker, Mr Eknath Nagvenkar also condemned the Ordinance and demanded its immediate withdrawal. NT Staff Reporter adds: Earlier during the day Ms Victoria Fernandes claimed that almost all the gramsabhas have passed resolution opposing the controversial ordinance of Planning and Development Authority. She told the newsmen near the Customs House this morning that she would continue to fight till all the areas are excluded from the jurisdiction of PDAs and scrap the controversial ordinance when various NGOs and villagers gathered to oppose the PDA and the ordinance. She said �I am firm on obstructing the International Film Festival of India,� besides pledging to fight till the last drop of her blood for the cause of Goa and Goans, and would not allow the Goan land to be converted into a concrete jungle. She further added that when Goans are struggling to save Goa and �You�ll sing and dance during IFFI, I will never allow this to happen.� This morning there were representatives from Cuncolim, Velim, Navelim, Curca, Aldona, Moira, Merces, St Estevam, Chorao, Bastora and other villages affiliated to Consumer Forum under the banner of GoaCan holding the placards and shouting slogans against the Town and Country Planning Minister, Mr Atanasio Monseratte and against the ordinance. The members drawn from Goa Environment Federation, Goa Civic Consumer Action Network and others seen shouting slogans against the PDAs and the ordinance. Among the prominent persons present on the occasion were Ms Patricia Pinto, Mr Anand Madgaonkar, Mr Ronald Martins, Mr Dean Cruz, Ms Lorna Fernandes, Mr Talco de Souza and Mr Arvind Bhatikar. -- Cheers, Gabe Menezes. London, England
