Sandesh Prabhudesai
29 July 2000
Meta Strips Ltd, the controversial copper processing plant appears to be on its way out as Dr Sitaram Jindal, its promoter, has clearly told the state government his intention to pack up if the experts committee report is implemented.
The committee of four experts, appointed by chief minister Francisco Sardinha in April following a violent agitation by the villagers in South Goa, has listed out several pollution control measures to be carried out while also blaming the government for lack of objectivity in clearing the project.
"The government must not implement any part of the technical committee report. In case it is forced upon us, we will have no other alternative but to close the factory at the risk and responsibility of the government", says the letter by Dr Jindal addressed to Sardinha.
Though the chief minister has tabled the report in the recently concluded monsoon Assembly session, he has preferred not to comment on it, stating that his government is studying the report. The 13-page report has also made several recommendations to the government in view of avoiding such controversies in future.
The project worth Rs 250 crore, which has come up at Sancoale near port town of Vasco, has been consistently opposed by the Anti Meta Strips Citizens Action Committee for over a year now, with active support of the Church and Catholic-dominated coastal villages of South Goa.
"I am not saying that we at Jindal are saints. Any business has its own logic, and sometimes that logic does not fit into the design of a few people. But what should have been resolved over a table has been dragged on to the courts and streets", states Dr Jindal in a separate letter written to Goa Archbishop, asking for his audience.
But instead of agreeing to any of the 12 recommendations made by the committee to the MSL, Dr Jindal has appealed to the government to drop the committee report in totality as "the committee, especially its chairman, was highly biased, unfair, illegal, adamant and uncalled for".
This is actually in contravention of what the MSL president A V Parekh had told journalists in April that "we are prepared to pack up and go if the experts committee proves that ours is a pollutant factory." On the contrary, the AMCAC is today demanding implementation of the report though it had refused to depose before the committee.
The committee, headed by Prof B B Dhar, also comprised of Dr R Sarin, Premchand and Dr P P Moghe. It has mainly recommended to the MSL zero discharge policy for waste water, dedicated efforts for pollution control measures, evaluation of pollution control devices during operation, implementation plan for hazardous wastes handling and a joint monitoring group for periodic monitoring.
While proposing to the CM to buy Rs 51.50 crore of shares of the project in case of closure, Dr Jindal has made various suggestions in case of project revival. It includes letter of comfort from the government, reimbursing loss of Rs 45 crore, power and water at half rates as well as permission to import 4000 armed guards to protect the factory.
Alleging that the people's agitation is controlled by Mafia gangs and petty communal minded people, the MSL has also demanded to institute a CBI enquiry into the entire issue of agitation as well as into the funding of the agitation.
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