Goenchi Mati Manifesto calling all political parties in Goa to protect children’s inheritance

  

Prakash Kamat

Panaji , December 6-In the light of Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant’s announcement about the restart of iron ore mining, the Goenchi Mati Movement asks all political parties and Goans to support its Manifesto For Fair Mining. 

The Goenchi Mati Movement is asking for the implementation of some simple Constitutional principles in the management of our natural resources, especially the State of Goa's mineral wealth. The Movement requests all people-friendly political parties to support and to incorporate the Goenchi Mati Manifesto into their party platforms. We have developed a win-win solution to a very vexed issue (mining) that is of great importance and concern to voters.  While the manifesto was developed in 2016, it remains valid even today.

The manifesto revolves around the Goenchi Mati Principles, which are:

1.    We, the people of Goa, own the mineral in common. The state government is merely a trustee of natural resources for the people and especially future generations (Public Trust Doctrine).

2.    As we have inherited the minerals, we are simply custodians and must pass them on to future generations (Intergenerational Equity).

3.    Therefore, if we mine and we sell our mineral resources, we must ensure zero loss, ie. capture of the full economic rent (sale price minus cost of extraction, cost including reasonable profit for miner). Any loss is a loss to all of us and our future generations.

4.    All receipts from minerals must be saved in the Goenchi Mati Permanent Fund. Similar proposals are already implemented all over the globe. Like the minerals, the Permanent Fund will also be part of the commons. The Supreme Court has ordered the creation of a Permanent Fund for Goan iron ore and already Rs. 94 crores is deposited.

5.    Any real income (after inflation) from the Goenchi Mati Permanent Fund must only be distributed to all as a right of ownership, a Citizen's Dividend. This is like the comunidade zonn, but paid to everyone.

6.    The implementation of these principles will be done in a transparent participatory process with the people of Goa.

The manifesto revolves around the implementation of the Intergenerational Equity (IE) principle, which calls on Goans to ensure that our future generations inherit at least as much as we did. It provides an economically beneficial plan on mining going forward. It also suggests an interim plan for mining dependent. It places a priority for dump mining and land restoration over fresh mining. And concerns of the mining affected are also reflected.

Further, we believe this manifesto produces a fair outcome for all mining stakeholders. In summary,

- Mining dependent will benefit

- Mining affected will benefit

- Government of Goa will benefit

- People of Goa will benefit

- Future citizens of Goa will benefit

- Miners can get up to 20% return but not beyond.

 

Andrea Rodericks from the Goenchi Mati Movement said: “The Goenchi Mati Manifesto proposes a model for mining that honors our constitution and protects the rights of the children and of future generations of Goa. It also dramatically reduces the potential for looting that is associated with mining, which has caused tremendous environmental, economic and social damage in Goa. We call on all political parties and all independent MLAs to explicitly support our Manifesto. This is the future we need, we have a vision for our future, now it requires political will and support.”

Rahul Basu from the Goenchi Mati Movement said: “Supporting the manifesto is a critical step in changing the trajectory of Goa’s society and economy. Goa has the opportunity to be a beacon of hope in a dark world. I hope Goans from all walks of life, especially the mining dependent, the mining affected, the business community, and anyone who cares about what is right show leadership and courage and publicly support our manifesto.”

Mr. Basu said that the Goenchi Mati Manifesto is available at goenchimati.org/manifesto. It is available in English, Devnagari  & Romi Konkani, Marathi, Hindi, Portuguese and Kannada. Audio versions are available in Konkani, Marathi & Hindi.

"Show your support at goenchimati.org/support. Aamchi Mati Aamka Zai,"says Mr. Basu.(eom)

 

Revoke the clearances related to Mollem and then start discussions: Youth of Goa Forum tells Goa govt

Gabriella D'cruz , Princy Fadte, Valerie Afonso, amongst others,addressing press conference on Saturday

Prakassh Kamat

Panaji,December 5- Youngsters under the banner of The Youth from across Goa ,on Saturday urged every single Goan and lover of our precious Goa to put "your age, religion, and political affiliation aside and RISE AS ONE GOA to protect Goa.

Addressing a press conference in the city, the group of youngsters said,"Our first and main demand to the government is that we ask you to stop tokenism about engagement with us. You can’t approve a project ‘in public interest’ without both due process and our consent and then tell us we can talk about it. It is clear: First, revoke the clearances related to Mollem and then start discussions.

In a strongly-worded press release issued at the press conference, the representatives of youth, inter alia, said, "On one hand you put up the Goa State Action Plan for Climate Change and ask for comments and on the other you say you will go ahead with the projects despite the youth (along with scientists, doctors, lawyers, architects, veterinarians and so many more) sending numerous representations citing the irreversible damages of destroying Mollem National Park and Bhagwan Mahavir Wildlife Sanctuary, which is Goa’s largest protected area, that is part of a Global Biodiversity Hotspot."

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in 2019 shows how the Western Ghats gives us resilience to climate change and will allow for better adaptation against the effects of climate change. By not revoking clearances and destroying the Western Ghats, you are destroying our future and this tokenism is not only blatantly apparent but also contradictory in nature, said the press release.

Our goals and values as the youth of Goa are clear, our vision for development does not involve destroying forest and we will strive to safeguard and create a Goa that future generations can thrive in. We will  not compromise on our intergenerational equity; Our natural resources are our shared inheritance and it is the duty of the present government and all of us in Goa to ensure that future generations inherit at least as much as we did of a state that is truly worth fighting for.

Many times the Goa government has tried to feign ignorance about these Mollem projects as being Central projects and we will not allow you to feign ignorance anymore. Be brave enough to take responsibility. Stop passing the buck. We would like to categorically state that the Goa Government knows about these three proposals from its inception. In fact they have forwarded these proposals based on approval granted by the Chief Wildlife Warden and recommendation of Goa State Board for Wildlife to the Central Government. We like to remind the government to remind themselves of our treasured Constitution of India.  As per the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution, our forests and wildlife appear on the concurrent list. Thus the State and Centre has equal power to take decision on them and moreover the final decision on forest diversion lies with the State.

We now to ask the government of Goa to stop this widespread destruction and we are willing to tell them the process on how they can do it. 

We first ask you- the Chief Minister of Goa who is the Chairperson of the State Wildlife Advisory Board- to send an immediate representation to the Union Minister of Environment and Forests who is the Chairperson of the National Board of Wildlife to scrap the wildlife clearances granted to the three linear infrastructure projects. You need to send a similar representation to the Regional Committee of Ministry of Environment and Forests and Climate Change at Bengaluru to ask them to quash the forest clearances granted for Mapusa-Xeldem transmission line, Xeldem-Xeldem transmission line and the approach road to the substation at Sangod.

Apart from these two relatively simple and straight forward letters that we put forth as a demand, we ask you to direct the Goa Forest Department not to issue any work orders to fell trees for the Goa Tamnar transmission line and to stop-all work related to railway double tracking on non-forest land, else you will have to face our agitations and uprising of many more youth from across Goa. 

To sum up, the final and easiest step to revoke these clearances, to both the Chief Minister and the Forest Minister, you only need to direct the Goa Forest Department to return these proposals back to Goa Tamnar, South Western Railways and the PWD.

Through the fight ffor#Amche Mollem we remember that we stand for something that is bigger than each of us and a Goa that is part of each of us. We are not only doing the right thing for our State but we are doing it together to stop the widespread destruction of our forests that matter to each of us. Ultimately, we are the youth. We envision a thriving planet for ourselves and our children yet to come. You may constantly say that these protests are politically motivated, or influenced by a foreign hand. Please stop cowering behind these excuses and be courageous enough to accept that we, the youth, are fighting now for our planet, our only home and our future. And you, who forget you are our representatives but deluded by being ‘in power’, are taking this future away from us.

We ask once again for our voices to be heard and these clearances to be revoked, else in the days ahead, our voices will only get stronger,warned the press release.(eom)

Goa Disability Rights body urges Chief Minister to address long pending issues of PswD

Prakash Kamat

Panaji,December 1-- Barely two days ahead of the International Day of Persons with Disability(PswD),on Tuesday, the Disability Rights Association of Goa(DRAG),a disabled persons organization working with the main objective of bringing people with disability into the mainstream society has written to Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant inviting his attention to the several issues of PswD in Goa, pending for long to be attended to by his government.

Goa has 33,000 persons with disability as per Census 2011 which covered only 7 disabilities as per the Persons with Disability Act 1995. In 2017 Goa endirsed the Rights of Persons with Disability Act, 2016, which covers 21 disabilities. It is estimated that Goa has around 45,000 persons with disability as per the new act. As we are not able to get a personal hearing with you even after 20 days and the International Day of Persons with Disability is fast approaching, we are giving herebelow a list of issues of the disability sector which have been pending for a very long time:

1. Appointment of a full time State disability commissioner with appropriate staff:Many disability issues are pending because we do not have a full time State disability Commissioner with appropriate staff for the last two years. Applications for the post of full time State Disability Commissioner were invited in May 2020 but the appointment is not yet finalized.

2.   Separate cell in various government departments for persons with disability:There is a need for a separate cell in every department especially education, labour, transport, trade and commerce, tourism, health and sports departments to handle disability related matters because specialized knowledge of the subject is required.

3.      Certification of new disabilities:The Rights of Persons with Disability Act 2016 has brought under its ambit 14 new disabilities out of which 10 disabilities are not yet being certified in Goa as a result people with these disabilities are not getting disability benefits from education and social welfare departments

4.      Blood separators in District Hospitals:There is a severe need for blood separators in district hospitals as children with thalessmia are forced to travel all the way to Goa Medical College for blood transfusion as they are the only hospital which has a blood separator.

5.      NOC for special educators:Directorate of Education is always delaying in issuing No Objection Certificate for the appointment of special educators as a result of which education of special children is affected. There is a need to issue it on time.

6.      Accessibility in buildings, communication, websites:  Twenty-five years of the Persons with Disability Act ,1995 has passed but public buildings are not yet accessible for persons with disability. Goa was to make 30 public buildings accessible under the Accessible India Campaign by 2017 but nothing has been done till date even though Rs. 4 crores has been received from Central Government for the project. 

"We cannot think of education, employment or entertainment of persons with disability if there is no accessibility of public buildings, communication and websites as mandated under the law," says DRAG.

7.      Revision of schemes for welfare of persons with disability:The schemes for welfare of persons with disability have not been revised for last 15 years. There is an urgent need to revise the schemes to keep up with the cost of living.

8.      Release of DSS and NSAP payments:Persons with disability have not received their Dayanand Social Security money for the last over three months. Many of them are having a hard time as this is their only source of income. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced Rs. 1,000/- as COVID relief under National Social Assistance Programme. This also has not yet been disbursed in Goa.

9.      Subsidy for marketing of products made by persons with disability:There are lots of products made by persons with disability including the special children. There is a need to provide subsidy in raw materials for products made by them so that their rates can be competitive.

10.  Land for Sheltered workshops for persons with disability and homes for persons with disability:There is a severe need for sheltered workshops and homes for persons with disability who have no one to look after them. We request you to allot land to NGOs for this purpose.

President if DRAG, Avelino de Sa, in his letter, copies of which has been marked to Minister for Social Wekfare Milind Naik and Secretary, Goa Department of Social Welfare, has hoped that the Chief Minister will look into the above issues and resolve them at the earliest.(eom)