Urgent Tillari board meet demanded over land denotified for casino firm
The members of the Tillari Irrigation Development Board have called for an immediate Command Areas Development (CAD) board meeting to discuss state govt's decision to denotify 3.3 lakh sqm of the Tillari command area at Dhargalim.
Tired of too many ads? go ad free now
Govt's decision will pave the way for Delta Corp Ltd, a casino company, to set up an integrated resort.
But residents of Dhargalim have strongly opposed the decision and have demanded its revocation.
The Tillari irrigation project is an interstate initiative involving Maharashtra and Goa, built at a huge cost, and Goa govt has notified 14,521ha of land under the Goa Command Area Development Act, 1997.
At a CAD board meeting held on Sep 27, 2024, the insistence was voiced to approve the scheme and have it notified, which the board did.
So the scheme, prepared under Section 17, was finally notified under Section 18(2) of the Goa Command Area Development Act.
'The consequences of this notification are provided in Section 19 of the act, which clearly prohibits the diversion of such land,' CAD board member and MLA Carlos Alvares Ferreira said.
'I am at a loss to understand how the Goa cabinet could bypass the statutory powers vested in the CAD board and agree to denotify such a huge tract of notified Command Area Development Authority (CADA) land.
This is without jurisdiction and totally illegal,' Ferreira said.
He added, 'When we finished approving the scheme, what can be the rationale or the justification, that too, within a span of about six months from the date of its notification, to denotify it as CADA land? Just because a casino has applied for it?' Ferreira said.
Irrigation command areas directly relate to notified command areas, meant to enhance the agricultural produce in Goa.
Tired of too many ads? go ad free now
Thus, this matter also falls in the domain of the WRD minister and the agriculture minister. And yet, this decision appears to directly contravene the state's agricultural policies and Command Areas Development Act, Ferreira said.
'Based on this set of concerns and the urgency of the matter, I write to request to convene an immediate meeting of the CAD board to discuss the issues raised by me and to enable govt to come clean on the issue in the larger public interest,' a letter sent to the member secretary of the CAD board said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
20 hours ago
- Time of India
Opposition flays state for ‘faulty' roll-out of NEP
Porvorim: Opposition MLAs launched a scathing attack on state govt during discussions on education grants, criticising the rushed implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) and a significant decline in enrolment at govt technical institutions. Carlos Ferreira accused govt of implementing the NEP without proper planning, stating that despite claims of reducing the content load, 'they have increased the theory-based content' and failed to rationalise curricular activities. He highlighted considerable gaps, including the absence of NEP-based textbooks for classes IX and X, and the lack of semester systems for classes VIII-X as mandated by the policy. 'Any new system should be introduced gradually, not forced upon,' Ferreira said, pointing out that students are overwhelmed with assignments, giving them no time for recreational activities. The leader of the opposition, Yuri Alemao, said that the state was 'not prepared at all' for NEP implementation and pointed out that the academic bank of credits concept 'has been reduced to a joke in Goa' with no functional system in any college. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Milana's Photoshoot Left Fans in Awe - Take a Look Paperela Undo He expressed concerns over Goa University's capability to lead NEP implementation. Vijai Sardesai pointed to vacant seats at Goa College of Engineering and demanded the modernisation of technical education, criticising the lack of industry-academia collaboration. The opposition said that while govt institutions struggle with 70% seat occupancy, private colleges are 'mushrooming without adequate facilities.'
NDTV
6 days ago
- NDTV
Trump's Tariff Plans Worry South African Farmers, Put Jobs At Risk
As winter clouds gathered above South Africa's prime wine-producing Robertson valley, the mood has been sombre ahead of new US tariffs of 30 percent due to come into force next week. Much of South Africa's sparkling white wine, Cap Classique, comes from this area 150 kilometres (90 miles) east of Cape Town. The prized wine -- produced with the same method as France's champagne -- had previously been exempt from US tariffs under a special trade deal that protected many South African products, including citrus fruits, macadamia nuts and avocados. Washington announced late on Thursday that the new tariffs would take effect next week, as US President Donald Trump seeks to reshape global trade to benefit the US economy. In the weeks before the new levies were to take effect, the Graham Beck estate -- a renowned Cap Classique producer -- shipped out its entire annual quota for the US market of around 300,000 bottles, and even a little more, general manager Pieter Ferreira told AFP. "We realised, as a team, let's buy some time," Ferreira said, as farm workers wrapped in thick fleece pruned the vines outside. The aim was to have stock in place "that can see us out for the whole of this year without affecting our price points or price increases in the US," he said. The US market represents almost 15 percent of the annual production of the Graham Beck estate, which employs 135 people. This year's early export does not reassure Ferreira. "The crystal ball is very unclear for 2026," he said. Four percent of South Africa's farming exports, worth nearly $600 million, are destined for the US market, according to the chamber of agriculture. 1000,000 jobs at risk More than 70 percent of arable land is still in the hands of the white minority decades after the end of apartheid, according to the latest figures from 2017, and it is these farmers who will be among the hardest hit by Trump's new tariffs. Many among them are Afrikaners, descendants of the first white settlers who Trump has falsely claimed are persecuted by government policies and targeted killings, leading him to take in around 50 as refugees in May. "It's not a racial divide as he is trying to make it look and sound like," Ferreira told AFP. "He says the government is not looking after the farmers and yet he is penalising the farmers by putting up tariffs of 30 percent on agricultural products... It's ridiculous," he said. The hiked tariffs could cost South Africa 100,000 jobs, according to the head of the central bank, Lesetja Kganyago. The continent's most industrialised economy is already struggling with an unemployment rate of nearly 33 percent. "The impact in agriculture could be quite devastating because agriculture employs a lot of low-skilled workers, and here the impact is on citrus fruit, table grapes and wines," Kganyago said on 702 Radio. Between six to eight percent of South Africa's citrus production is sent to the United States. For farmers in Citrusdal, 200 kilometres north of Cape Town, this is an essential market and also tariff-free under the preferential African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA). "At the moment it's about 25 to 30 percent of our business," said Gerrit van der Merwe among rows of oranges on his 1,000-hectare (nearly 2,500-acre) plot. Death of a town? Van der Merwe's family estate, ALG, employs around 2,000 people. "As an established business, we can survive this," he said. "We will probably have to cut off a couple of hectares, take two steps back, wait four or five years and then move forward." "But what is the reality? If we cut off 100 hectares, there's going to be 200 people looking for a job next year in Citrusdal," he said. The impact would be huge for the small rural town of fewer than 10,000 people, which is particularly busy at the July-August peak harvest period. "Citrus is the only source of income. So if we don't employ those 200 people, who will?" van der Merwe said. "And that's going to have a knock-on effect on the supermarket, the pharmacy, the clothing shops." "There's no point in just a farmer surviving while a small rural town is dead," he said. The farmer respected Trump's stated aim to bring industry back to the United States, but said South African citrus was no threat. "We are offering something counter-seasonal, so we're not stealing jobs from California. We're offering a healthy piece of fruit at a very affordable price," he said.
Time of India
7 days ago
- Time of India
MLAs urge Rane to create new Regional Plan
Porvorim: MLAs in the Goa assembly on Thursday demanded that govt prepare a new Regional Plan for the state and not convert hills and hill slopes into settlement zones. Aldona MLA Carlos Alvares Ferreira said that TCP minister Vishwajit Rane should be requested to create a new Regional Plan as the 2021 plan is dated. He said that zone changes were done at lightning speed for outsiders, but Goans were suffering. Ferreira said that according to the current Regional Plan, roads were designated as being 15 metres and 30 metres wide, which had become a contentious issue. He stated that structures that came up prior to the Regional Plan cannot be touched and govt should issue instructions to that effect. Curtorim MLA Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco said that there should be no change of zones on hills, hill slopes, and low-lying areas. Siolim MLA Delilah Lobo said that the natural areas of comunidades had been converted into settlement zones, and the areas should be restored to their original state. Rane said that he would act according to her request. Cumbharjua MLA Rajesh Faldessai urged the minister not to allow any development activities around the Unesco site at Old Goa, which has a 200-metre buffer zone. Priol MLA Govind Gaude said that due to deforestation, many wild animals were entering villages, and the forest department should address the problem. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Moose Approaches Girl At Bus Stop In Nizhegorodskaya Oblast - Watch What Happens Happy in Shape Undo Rane holds the forest department portfolio as well. Gaude stated that since 2006, the Forest Rights Act has not been implemented in its true spirit. He urged the forest department to take the initiative in granting rights to dwelling units. Bicholim MLA Chandrakant Shetye urged the minister to launch Phases 2 and 3 of renovation at the municipal market at Bicholim.
