Huge rally to protest 'Regional Plan-2011' held

Panaji, Dec 18 (UNI) Scores of people who responded to the 'Save Goa Campaign' at Azad Maidan here today vowed to vote against the ruling Congress party in the coming elections to the state legislative assembly in May next if it failed to scrap the ''destructive'' Regional Plan-2011 forthwith.

Deputy speaker of State Legislative Assembly Ms Victoria Fernandes (Congress), former Chief Minister and leader of the Maharashtra Gomantak Party Ms Sashikala Kakodkar, Nationalist Congress Party General Secretary Surendra Furtado were among the prominent people who were present there.

The meeting was addressed among others by noted pop singer Remo Fernandes and Ms Hema Sardesai, convenor of the campaign Dr Oscar Rebello besides prominent people like Gerson D'Cunha, Aires Rodrigues of Save Goa Front, advocate Satish Sonak and convenor of the NGO-Goa Civic and Consumer Network(GOACAN) Mr Roland Martin.

Volunteers of various consumer networks, with huge placards hung to their necks, in their front and back, were seen educating the masses on ills of 'Regional Plan' allegedly drafted at the behest of the big money World Bank to destroy the face of Goa on the name of development.

The volunteer oranisations that participated in the rally included Bailancho Saad, a women's collective engaged in fighting for justice to the affected women, Raia Civic and Consumer Forum, Nitol Jinn Trust, a public grievances forum and Lok Satta.

The rally was organised amid tight security right in front of the police headquarters in the capital.

The memoranda with signatures would be submitted to the Governor S C Jamir seeking his intervention immediately.

UNI BM KU VD HT1915