Speakers lash out at Guv at anti-ordinance meeting 14 Mar 2009, 0256 hrs IST, TNN
PANAJI: Governor Shivinder Singh Sidhu came in for harsh criticism for approving the ordinance amending the Land Acquisition Act allegedly aimed at preventing the partial demolition of hotel Cidade de Goa. Speakers at a public meeting in Panaji on Friday also came up with the idea of marching to the governor's palace at Cabo in protest. The meeting was called by Goa Bachao Abhiyan and was attended by non-governmental organizations and members of the public. The meeting also decided to hold a massive rally in Panaji to protest the ordinance. The rally will tentatively be organized on March 21 at Azad Maidan, Panaji, but the exact date and place will be finalized later depending on availaibility of the venue. The speakers also urged the public to write personal, passionate letters to the Supreme Court apprising it of how the Goa government had bypassed its orders to demolish part of the hotel. Considering that the ordinance has to be now ratified by the legislature, the meeting also decided that citizens should write letters to their respective MLAs and put pressure on them to reject the ordinance in the forthcoming Assembly session. The meeting felt that since the ordinance has far-reaching implications for the rest of the country, it should be made a national issue and letters should be written to all organizations across the country. Opening the meeting, GBA member Praveen Sabnis said, "If we keep queit now everything illegal and immoral will be regularized through ordinances." Advocate Norma Alvares termed the ordinance as "a slap in the face of the Supreme court". She also related how the government acquired the land for the hotel, signed an agreement with it, and how the hotel built on the acquired land although its agreement with the government clearly said that the hotel could "never construct any building or strucuture on the acquired land". When asked what action the Supreme Court could take on the ordinance, Norma replied, "Does the Supreme Court feel affronted by the Goa government's ordinance? Does the Supreme Court see the impact of the ordinance on the people of this country? Nothing is sacrosant anymore. They will change anything with ordinances and you will know about it only after it is published in the official gazette." Dr Oscar Rebello advocated the need to galvanize the youth against the ordinance and also suggested that students should be encouraged to write letters to the Supreme Court informing it how the Goa government had bypassed its directives. Venita Coelho said that there is a need to educate the public about the ordinance and that it will not save the other structures in CRZ areas. "There is no link between the ordinance and the CRZ laws," Coelho said. Fr Maverick Fernandes of the Council for Social Justice and Peace said that the ordinance had made "fools of Goans and the law". He advocated a strong strategy to sensitize the MLAs so that it is defeated in the Assembly. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Goa/Speakers-lash-out-at-Guv-at-anti- ordinance-meeting/articleshow/4262406.cms ~(^^)~ Avelino
