GBA gets Vincent Verodiano Award
BY HERALD REPORTER

PANJIM, NOV 7 - Even as the lights failed Panjim city on Wednesday evening, in a dark corner of Menezes Braganza Hall the Goa Bachao Abhiyan received the Vincent Xavier Verodiano Award amidst the burning of candles and torch lights.

With the burning of candles we have achieved the significance of Diwali, announced the compere of the function as he introduced the Verodiano Foundation's Awards Committee Chairperson and prominent lawyer Norma Alvares, who spoke at length on the significance of the award.

Ms Alvares said even though the award was given to people who have served and influenced society over a period of time, she as chairperson campaigned hard so that GBA got the award. The reason for this, she cited, was that the Abhiyan in such a short span of time had dared to come up with an agenda to save Goa capturing people's imagination.

Convenor GBA Dr Oscar Rebello, Secretary Patricia Pinto, Dean D'Cruz, Treasurer Anand Madganvkar, Miguel Braganza, Raboni Saha, Jamshed, Leroy and others received the award at the hands of veteran journalist Rajan Narayan. The award, instituted by Dom Martin in 1989 in memory of his father Vincent Xavier Verodiano, constitutes a cash prize amounting to Rs 1,00,000.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr Rebello maintained that GBA was very much alive and the rumblings in Keri, Sancoale and Verna were nothing but extensions of the Abhiyan's emotional trigger. The GBA may have conflicting interests within, but its democratic set-up remains intact, he asserted.

Rajan Narayan called upon GBA to take cognizance of Special Economic Zones and maintained that the zones are not part of the land-utilisation plan of Regional Plan 2001 and as a matter of fact shouldn't be allowed.

Miguel Braganza said that GBA is opposed to SEZs and supports all those groups that oppose these zones. However, he cleared that GBA would not share the platform with any political party to oppose the zones.

Secretary of Vincent Xavier Verodiano Foundation, Herman de Souza, proposed a vote of thanks.

Past Secretary Percival Noronha was also present.


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