-------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | | Goanetters annual meet in Goa is scheduled for Dec 27, 2005 @ 4pm | | | |The Riviera Opposite Hotel Mandovi, Panjim (near Ferry Jetty/Riverfront)| | Attending.......drop a line to [EMAIL PROTECTED] | -------------------------------------------------------------------------- POLLUTER PAYS --- AND THE PRICE A BRUTAL MURDER ---unfortunately late Prithviraj 36 a native of Sattari in the North Goa district the western ghat taluka region son of Krishnarao Rane a politico and ex Zilla Panchayat member (not in any way related to the Chief Minister Mr Pratapsing Raoji Rane a descendant of Dipaji Rane who led the Rane revolt against the erstwhile Portuguese regime and have their ancestary in Rajasthan ) paid the price when he was brutally done to death on the morning of 28th December, 2005 near Saleli in North Goa near his work place.
According to unconfirmed information this writer, received, around six to seven persons attacked Mr Rane in situ, around 10 am near the work site as final touches were being given by him for the inuagural ceremony due for today to put in place the a second stone crusher. It is learnt that the Rane's had installed a stone crusher a decade ago in 1994 on a hillock which had cashew plantation nuts of which the villagers used to collect. Most of the villagers live below the poverty line and have least demands for their sustenance. The crushers are allegedly located in the property of the Rane's who have large land tract holdings. The mining of rock and the first crusher installed at the site provided, scope for employment to several of his own tenants initially and several of those from around the village. The discovery of stone rock and the demand for stone crushed fines for construction activity --- a small scale then was not taken to kindly by the villagers but since they were essentially tenants they accepted this proposition with a pinch of salt. Obviously this resentment turned to frustration eventually. Slowly but surely villagers realised that the airborne dust creates substantial amount of environment pollution by way of fugitive dust emmission settling on their modest homes during the various stages of crushing which adversely affect the ambient air quality and thereby the human health besides vegetation which apparently suffer from lack of photosynthesis as dust settle on the plants around. It is not clear whether due efforts were made to ensure containment of dust fines by use of waterspray etc and given that generally the environment management scenario is far from satisfactory as one could see in a similar plant installed at the Verna Sancoale four lane road leading to the airport the least one could expect of one this site at Saleli a village in the remotest corner of the state. Add to the agony the landlord tenant status of the employer the Ranes and the villagers essentially his tenants. To some villagers arrogance of the deceased did add to the simmering tempers and vent of revenge. There were several protests in letters and complaints made to the Chief Ministers and all those that matter. This is a serious charge. Since no redressal was forthcoming and the problems of the villagers affected by the dust pollution, with millions of suspended mineral particles that settled on the houses of villagers in the surrounding areas vegetation there were even complaints of atmospheric temperatures changing due to the continuos process nearly 8 to 12 hours daily of activity. Even though the site is located at an altitude surrounded by lush greenery around the pollution was unfortunate. Following the brutal attack villagers sensing trouble rushed off to a nearby temple and were huddled together awaiting apparently the law to take its due course. It is learnt that the police had forewarned late Rane of the imminent indisposition of the people towards the installation of the second crusher however he went ahead with the arrangements. Sniffer dogs when pressed to service near the temple precints resulted in the arrest of some persons and this provoked the police to take retailatory measures. With mob psychology it would be difficult to hazard a guess as to who provoked the assault the police (just thirty to forty ) on the angered villagers or the mob on the police -- but the resulting melee that seen the injuries inflicted on the police personnel clearly shows that a free for all prevailed. Even the Mamlatdar Ajit Panchwadkar an acquaintance of this writer was not spared of the assault. Incidentally the dimunitive Mamlatdar of Valpoi was in his earlier posting a Secretary in Village Panchayat Benaulim. While the investigations into the criminal assault will take its logical conclusion in the years to come. The points that are crucial and need immediate investigations are a) Was the Environment Impact Assessment done to ascertain the damage to the environment in the area? b) Were proper licences, Environment Clearances under the Water and Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution ) Act 1974 1981 and rules thereof 1988 issued c) what action did the respective authorities, viz the Village Panchayats, the Zilla Panchayats, the MLAs the Collector the Mamlatdar take on the complaints lodged by the people --were these complaints acted upon or merely filed for posterity? A judicial probe by a retired judge would help and before that the Criminal Investigation Department or the Local Intelligence Burureau of the Valpoi and Honda Police station should be ordered to sieze all the correspondence relating to the issue for over the last over six years to ascertain the facts. Suspension orders to officials who have not acted on the representations would befit a genuine enquiry. Needless to state that while the brutal murder could stir a hornets nest among the civilised given that the State boasts of a high literacy rate? the moot question before the citizens of Goa is that the bureaucracy viz Executive has miserably shrugged their responsibility on the Judiciary and the Judiciary saddled with mounting arrears of cases from the trial courts to the highest court of the land least promise an affected citizen the much needed redressal fora for his or her grievances. Under the cirumstances is it not the law makers who share the major responsibility for Prithviraj Rane episode? Goa has witnessed such agitations from times immemorials -- some instigated some genuine -- yes development comes with a price but not at the cost of making a few humans suffer for the benefit of others -- the Curca garbage problem was one recent case earlier it was the Carbon dust pollution in Vasco da Gama and at San Jose de Areal and the predominant mining leases that affect the regions in the western ghat regions. The law makers should sit together and sensitize the Executive its bureaucracy to shrug their lethargy and inaction. There may be a need to set up the Egyptian model of administration where every Department -- specially those of the public oriented type to have a legal authority posted who could assist in interpreting the legal ambiguities in implementing the laws so that a mere lower division clerk or a matriculate qualified Head clerk is not left to cause inconvnience to citizens owing to his her interpretation of the law. There is also a need to sensitize the staff to act and dispose of letters either way in a fit time. The Chief Secretary of Goa Ms Kiran Dhingra IAS should immediately issue an order that all letters recieved should be disposed of in a fixed time frame. Lest the Rane episode be repeated elsewhere the Goa Government should stand forewarned. GODFREY J I GONSALVES BORDA MARGAO GOA Send instant messages to your online friends http://in.messenger.yahoo.com -------------------------------------------------------------------------- | Goa - 2005 Santosh Trophy Champions | | | | Support Soccer Activities at the grassroots in our villages | | Vacationing in Goa this year-end - Carry and distribute Soccer Balls | --------------------------------------------------------------------------
