Development has damaged Goa environment: Ramesh

Union Minister for Environment and Forests Mr. Jairam Ramesh needs to
be lauded for having taken up the issue of protecting Goa’s
environment and forests. He has clearly hit the nail on the head when
he points out that the so-called development work in Goa has caused
the worst damage to the Goan Environment and our forests.

With our Goan politicians being the most corrupt, denigrated and vile
bunch that we have representing us, all their con-schemes and projects
in the name of “development” are only to push forward their hidden
agenda of filling in their pockets and granting approvals left , right
and centre. This goes for the Mining Industries Projects, Real Estate
Projects, SEZs, Dual Airport Scheme, MPT Expansion Plans, etc – you
name it all our Ministers and politicians today are all hand in glove
with the Government Officials, TCP, Forest Department and Panchayats
working at the behest of these project promoters to push through these
projects, even if it means the destruction of Goa it’s environment and
or delicate Ecology without considering the serious damage it's
causing our Goan environment and without taking the Goan people into
account.

Recently we heard of the Goa Government approaching the Centre and the
World Bank for fighting Coastal Erosion which was unheard of in Goa
before as we respected nature and our Environment. After causing the
problem in the first place they are quick in putting out the begging
bowl which again will be nothing but another way of stealing from the
funds that they receive.

Politicians like the Alemaos, Godinho, Ranes, Monserrate, Azgaonkar
and the rest of the Gang including those from the Opposition are not
worthy of the position they enjoy! Why is the Opposition silent -
don't they have a responsibility too?

Please voice your support in favour of Jairam Ramesh for standing up
against his own colleagues in calling a spade a spade and speaking out
in favour of Goa. It’s up to us Goans to speak out against our own
politicians and expose them as all our Goan villages face these
problems on account of the close nexus between builders, Pancahayats,
corrupt officials in the TCP and of course our greedy and corrupt
politicians.

There is a crying need to consolidate the efforts and expose the rot
that has set in and put a stop to it. The villagers who have lived
here for generations in these villages going back in time should be
the ones to decide what kind of development they want and preserve the
coastal ecology which is so important - Otherwise what we are seeing
in terms of weather changes, soil erosion, tsunamis, floodings in Goa
which were never heard of will be the order of the day.

Consolidated efforts to rally and support the villagers so that no
project is passed through without checking the damages to this
delicate coastal ecology. We should all join hands to support what
essentially is the heart of Goa –it’s villages, it’s people and their
Goan way of life that will be destroyed due to the unending greed of a
few and the open collaboration of our Goan politicians a corrupt,
greedy and hopeless bunch!.

Below is the article with MOEF Mr. Jairam Ramesh’s comments on the
so-called development work in Goa. Our Goan Ministers and politicians
need to read the writing on the wall and heed the warning before it’s
too late! As for Digu-Kaka our CM “the man with the Golden Hand” and
the rest of our Goan MLAs shame on you! Instead of promoting
Agriculture, you'll are bent on destroying it and as such failed to
get the Central Government's grant for last year! All we see are
grandiose schemes

To prevent Goans from expressing their voices and opinions after
imposing Section 144 infront of you and the Assembly we trust that
you'll at least read what's being published in our Goan newspapers and
the media! Or would you impose censorship on that as well?

Shame on you our Goan Politicians!

Roger D’Souza
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Development has damaged Goa environment: Ramesh


PTI
BHOPAL, JULY 12

Development work had “inflicted the worst damage” to the environment
and forests in Goa, Union Minister for Environment and Forests Jairam
Ramesh said in Bhopal on Friday. He was speaking to NGOs at the sixth
public consultation organised about the Green Mission at the Indian
Forest Management Institute in the Madhya Pradesh capital.

However, he said, afforestation and re-greening should be taken up on
a war footing to make up the loss. Ramesh lamented that he was facing
criticism from his cabinet colleagues for allegedly blocking
development projects. “I am being considered as ‘Ravana’ for
development projects,” Ramesh lamented.

Without naming anyone, the minister said he was being considered as a
person putting obstacles in the way of development projects. “Our
department is being shown as the enemy of development, which is not
the case,” he said.

In recent months, Ramesh has come under attack from Road Transport and
Highways Minister Kamal Nath over construction of highways through
forests in Madhya Pradesh, as well as Civil Aviation Minister Praful
Patel for “delay” in the environmental clearance of the Navi Mumbai
airport.

“The biggest challenge for us is to strike a balance between
environment and development,” Ramesh said.

The minister said he was winning praises from NGOs and the people with
regard to environment protection, but was at the receiving end from
others, whom he did not name.

Power generation, highways and other development work are bound to
take place, he said, adding the country needs power and infrastructure
to progress.