Sandesh Prabhudesai
13 May 2000
While the controversial Meta Strips project has begun its operations following the supreme court order, the state government here has been accused of colluding with the company to get the closure of the factory lifted.
The Anti Meta Strips Citizens Action Committee feels that injustice is being caused to them while granting interim stay as they were not even served notice in spite of being one of the respondents in the case, but only the state government.
The basic question being asked now is why the government agreed to get the hearing, fixed for 10 July, preponed for 10 May. Eyebrows are raised here because only the state government was served a notice regarding the plea to prepone the hearing, sidelining three respondents including the AMCAC who are spearheading the anti-Meta Strips agitation.
"In what way it could be different on 10 July when the court has granted interim stay on the closure order on merits", asks chief minister Francisco Sardinha in retaliation. Pending inquiry into the allegations regarding pollution caused by the factory, the state government had sealed the factory on 8 April 'in larger public interest'.
Dr Wilfred de Souza, the sole NCP MLA who supports Sardinha's coalition government, has even accused the government of granting two crucial licences during the agitation period last month in order to strengthen the Meta Strips case in the supreme court. Based on these licences, the court stayed the closure order, he feels.
Denying the allegations, Sardinha finds nothing wrong in granting licences by the Inspectorate of Factories and Boilers as well as the Goa Pollution Control Board even when villagers in South Goa had paralysed the national highway, demanding scrapping of the project.
"It is a clear cut conspiracy hatched by the state government and the Meta Strips to fool the people of Goa", alleges Nelson Fernandes, the AMCAC secretary. Dr de Souza also expresses similar view, asking why the government had to agree to prepone the case.
"It is not justified to hear only one party (the government) and pass the orders", feels Fernandes. The AMCAC is now exploring the possibility of approaching the vacation bench of the supreme court to get the interim stay order stayed as they feel the court should decide about the matter only after hearing all the respondents.
Sardinha however feels otherwise. "This is not a final permission granted to the company", he says, stating further that the actual picture would be clear only after the experts committee submits its report. He also reiterates that he would not allow the copper processing plant to continue if it was found to be polluting.
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