Protest intensifies against proposal for Assolda jetty

Margao: The opposition to the proposed jetty project in Assolda gained momentum as political leaders joined residents in their protest against what they claimed was a veiled attempt to facilitate coal transportation in the area.
Former chairperson of the Curchorem-Cacora municipal council and a current councillor, Balkrishna Hodarkar, praised the villagers’ resistance while warning them against potential manipulative tactics. “Don’t fall prey to enticements—be it job offers, monetary assistance, or business opportunities,” Hodarkar cautioned, drawing parallels with the Cacora garbage treatment plant situation where, “despite initial assurances of limited use, the facility now handles waste from all of South Goa.”
Curchorem MLA Nilesh Cabral pledged support to the Assolda residents, promising to oppose coal handling and transportation through the village. However, Hodarkar expressed scepticism, suggesting that infrastructure might be built under the guise of development, followed by court orders facilitating coal transportation.
The controversy emerged after residents unanimously demanded the revocation of a 2011 NOC issued to a private mining company in a special gram sabha on Dec 8. Villagers had claimed that the NOC was outdated and was being misused to obtain approvals for the new jetty construction.
State Congress president Amit Patkar, who attended the gram sabha, supported the opposition, stating the jetty is “planned to get coal unloaded in Xelvon village.”