Anti-tourist stir
deferred till Jan 2
Agencies, Panaji
29 December 2007
The protest-clouds over the New Year celebrations in Goa
got cleared today with the groups agitating against the special
economic zone (SEZ) projects deciding to wait till January
2 to decide their next course of action.
The agitating groups and parties led by former Tourism Minister
Matanhy Saldanha met Chief Minister Digambar Kamat at the
invitation of the latter.
Others included in the delegation led by the convener of
the Goa Movement Against Special Economic Zone (GMAS) were
Bharatiya Janata Party leaders — Manohar Parrikar, the
Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly and a former Chief
Minister, and Sripad Naik, BJP’s Goa unit president and
North Goa MP.
Addressing presspersons after the meeting, Mr. Saldanha said
the Chief Minister assured them that he would come out with
a concrete statement on the SEZ projects on January 2. In
view of this, the GMAS thought it appropriate to defer its
decision to intensify the agitation and wait till then to
decide the next course of action, Mr. Saldanha stated.
He, however, made it clear that what they expected from the
government was nothing short of scrapping of all SEZ projects.
Criticism
Launching a scathing attack on the proposed projects, Mr.
Saldanha said these projects would not only gobble up precious
land in the tiny State but also finish its identity.
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