BJP Govt will be fully exposed on Mhadei if they challenge order
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Monday welcomed the Hon High Court order to declare the forested area of Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary and its surroundings as a Tiger Reserve. AAP strongly condemned the BJP-led Goa government’s knee-jerk announcement to challenge the order in the Supreme Court. The recent ruling by the High Court vindicates AAP’s demand, which was passionately advocated by Benaulim MLA Capt. Venzy Viegas on the floor of the House as far back as January 2023. Viegas was the lone MLA in the whole assembly who raised this critical issue in writing by tabling a private members resolution demanding a Tiger Reserve in the Mhadei wildlife sanctuary.
AAP’s Adv. Amit Palekar highlighted the significance of notifying the Tiger Reserve to bolster Goa’s stance against Karnataka’s unjust diversion of water from the Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary. It is deeply troubling and perplexing that the Goa government is persistently rejecting the court’s directive and acting against its own Central BJP Government’s orders. Palekar further said, “The Ministry of Environment, aligned with the Central BJP Government, has long been urging the Goa government to establish the Tiger Reserve to protect the region’s precious wildlife and natural resources. Yet, in an astounding display of hypocrisy, the Goa government remains in denial mode, brushing aside the urgent need for conservation efforts”.
Adv. Amit Palekar raised a pertinent question concerning the Goa government’s inexplicable resistance to the Tiger Reserve notification. He stated that vested interests of private individuals might be at play, and this could be the primary reason behind the government’s reluctance to take appropriate action. AAP firmly asserts that the BJP-led Goa government’s resistance to safeguarding the environment and the interests of Goans is a clear reflection of their misplaced priorities. By announcing that the BJP government will challenge the High Court’s order, the BJP government once again puts its personal agenda above the welfare of the state’s natural heritage and its people.
“AAP MLA Capt. Venzy Viegas’s statement that Goa has effectively two Chief Ministers, one acting as a puppet for the Centre and the other opposing the Tiger Reserve, appears to be validated by the BJP government’s actions. This duality of governance raises serious doubts about the commitment of the state’s leadership to the principles of environmental conservation and sustainable development”, said Adv. Palekar. AAP MLA Engr Cruz Silva welcomed the order, citing the various clear and detailed directions given to both the BJP Govt as well as the National Tiger Conservation Authority. Silva said the the HC order is based strongly on law, and contains clear timelines for the various actions to be taken. He expressed confidence that the BJP Govt will realise that it would be foolhardy to contest such a strong order in the apex court.
AAP calls upon the Goa government to immediately comply with the High Court’s ruling and take necessary steps to declare the Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary as a Tiger Reserve within the stipulated three months. The preservation of our environment and protection of our wildlife should be a collective responsibility, free from any political biases or personal interests.