Church opposes SEZ
PTI (Panaji)
8 November 2007
Goa church today expressed its opposition to the Special
Economic Zones in the state and demanded that the state government
should scrap its SEZ policy.
"The state government in its sincerity should examine
whether a small state like Goa really needs SEZs," Father
Mavrick Fernandes, convenor, Council for Social Justice and
Peace, Goa church's wing, told reporters today.
The Catholic church has aligned with the non-political forces,
including people of Quittol, Pernem, Keri, Verna, Loutolim
and Soncoale where the SEZs are being vehemently opposed by
locals gathered under the banner of "SEZ Virodhi Manch".
The agitators have dished out a deadline of November 17 for
the state government to scrap all the SEZs.
Goa has 16 SEZ proposals of which seven are approved.
"If government fails, we will chalk out our further
agitation," Fr Fernandes stated.
Goa, with around 30 per cent Catholic population, has strong
influence of the views expressed by the church. In past, the
state government had bowed to the church's pressure and had
withdrawn several of its decisions.
"This is purely a non-political movement," Fr Fernandes
clarified, pointing out to another agitation launched by an
organisation led by a former minister.
"Goa does not have a luxury of land. We have limited
resources which we have to preserve for posterity," the
priest said.
Citing the project reports, Fr Fernandes said that the state
will trigger huge influx attracting 13 lakh more people once
all SEZs become operational.
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