Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant.
Credit: PTI Photo
Mumbai: Mounting a major offensive against Pramod Sawant over the Bhutani project at Sancoale in the fragile Western Ghats region, the Congress said that the buck stops with the Goa chief minister’s office.
Over the past few days, Sawant and Town and Country Planning (TCP) Minister Vishwajit Rane have come under fierce attack from the opposition party.
Bhutani Infra had obtained permission to build multi-dwelling units at Savarfond in Sancoale - leading to opposition by the locals.
Former Goa Congress President Girish Chodankar alleged that Sawant and Rane are engaged in a fierce competition to ravage Goa. “Their actions and demeanor suggest that they have acquired Goa as a dowry,” said Chodankar, who is now in-charge of Congress in Manipur, Tripura, Nagaland and Sikkim.
“If CM and TCP Minister continue to hold reins of power, they will undoubtedly annihilate Goa,” he said.
Goa Forward Party President Vijay Sardesai, who is the MLA from Fatorda, too has flagged the issue.
“The chief minister refused to meet activists opposing Bhutani’s Sancoale project whilst attending a function sponsored by this company makes Goemkars wonder whether our CM has become the CEO of the Hill Cutting Builders Association,” said Sardesai.
According to him, Dr Sawant is going back on assurance to review the project.
“He must remember it is people who elect him and not unscrupulous builders. New revelations of irregularities are emerging and government refusal to act on these makes one term the entire cabinet to be brokerage for unscrupulous builders. With the CMO being One Window Clearance for the land mafia. People of Goa will not remain silent to the wanton destruction of our hills and will come on the streets and fight to stop this,” said Sardesai.