New Delhi - Thousands of tourists bound for the Indian seaside resort of Goa can safely party into the New Year after a local group protesting against the building of industrial zones on cropland decided Thursday to put off its agitation until January, news reports said. A leader of Goa's Movement Against SEZs (special economic zones) had earlier asked tourists to leave Goa by Friday, saying they could get caught in violent protests against the SEZs.
The group had now decided to delay its protests and the future course of action would be decided in January, Goa's opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Manohar Parikkar was quoted as saying by CNN-IBN television channel. The BJP, the main opposition party in the Goa legislature, is a member of the movement against SEZs forum which also includes several NGOs and people's collectives. The Goa government has allotted about 1,500 acres of land for proposed SEZs. The anti-SEZ activists say these industrial zones, which are a part of the Indian government's efforts to boost the manufacturing sector with tax concessions and other measures, would cause irreparable environmental damage to the region. Goa, with its cluster of beaches, coves, churches and forests, draws about 1.3 million tourists - foreign and domestic - every year which is just a little less than the state's total 1.4 million population. Tourism is one of the state's main industries. The high tourist season runs from October to March and peaks in December during the annual carnival and the New Year celebrations. Goa Chief Minister Digambar Kamat has said the SEZ issue would be resolved in consultation with all stakeholders in January. He said his government would take all steps to ensure the safety of tourists who wished to celebrate the New Year in Goa. The state government has deployed additional police forces and tightened security at all tourist spots and the capital Panaji, the Times of India newspaper reported. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who was scheduled to reach Goa on Thursday to inaugurate a broadband network, is expected to meet leaders of the movement against SEZs. http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/164951.html ~(^^)~ Avelino
