Goencho Avaaz Party expressed distress at the Pramod Sawant government’s flagrant contempt of court as indicated by its auctioning of SEZ land at Verna Industrial Estate via GIDC. This is in total contravention of the Supreme Court’s order on January 10th 2011 that the status quo must be maintained by all parties on the SEZ land issue pending in the Court.
Commenting on the matter, Captain Viriato Fernandes, State Convenor of Goencho Avaaz Party said: ‘’The long lease initiative of the BJP government in Goa amounts to contempt of court. How can the government long lease SEZ land when the matter is still in court? How can the Pramod Sawant government display such brazen disrespect for orders of the Supreme Court? If the government itself belittles none less than the Supreme Court, then where does the common citizen turn to for justice?”
Capt. Viriato also pointed out that the Pramod Sawant government had exposed its anti Goan bias by clandestinely putting the advertisement for auction of SEZ land on long lease, only in national papers whilst leaving out local dailies. In this way, it probably hoped to keep Goans in the dark, and restrict this illegal opportunity to outsiders.
Capt. Viriato Fernandes pointed out that the government leads by example and sets the tone for the administration and the people. Accordingly Pramod Sawant’s government has yet again given out a clear message that contravention of the law is acceptable and will be tolerated. It has also indicated this government does not take institutions like the judiciary with any degree of seriousness. This perhaps, gives the people of Goa the answer as to why Goa under the Pramod Sawant government has degenerated into a totally lawless state, fast turning into a disreputable criminal hub for the rest of the country at the cost of the peace and security of law abiding citizens.
Now is the time for the people of Goa to turn the tide and penalize the government by breaking their stranglehold over the state in the forthcoming elections. A government that breaks the law and is responsible for the utter destruction of Goa and the utter misery heaped on the people has no business to be in office.’’ he concluded.
