Aam Aadmi Party today filed ‘studied’ objections before the Central Empowered Committee appointed by the Supreme Court opposing the permissions granted by the the Goa State wildlife Board based on which the National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) also cleared the three contentious projects cutting through the Bhagwan Mahaveer Wildlife Sanctuary and the Mollem National Park.
In a video address, AAP leader on Environment Sidharth Karapurkar displaying copies of the representation to CEC jointly signed by Party Convenor Elvis Gomes and himself, said that the AAP had filed ‘studied’ objections and prayed for quashing the permissions granted by the NBWL which were inconsistent with the Provisions of the Environment Protection Act as well as Wildlife Act 1972.
Said Karapurkar “ We have prayed that all the members of the Goa wildlife Board should be directed to file affidavits individually, swearing on oath whether any meeting for approval of the three projects ever took place and if so the nature of the proceedings. The board had earlier let the youth of Goa down. Now all the 40 MLAs by agreeing not to hold a full assembly session and refusing to answer the questions posed to them by the youth have also let them down”
He said that the order for police protection to Sterlite of Vedanta group in February 2019 when approvals were granted in April 2020, was shocking and displayed the full backing it had been receiving from the ‘disastrous’ BJP government in the state in active collusion with the opposition.
“We have also prayed that DG Police should be called upon to file an affidavit to let the CEC know under what circumstances police protection to Sterlite group was justified a year in advance of the approvals ” said Karapurkar
Meanwhile Party Convenor Elvis said that this was a crucial time for Goa and called upon the people to remember the words of Justice Gautam Patel who when he was on the double bench of the Bombay High Court at Goa had observed in another judgement that Goa is “Truly a Land worth fighting for”
