Yuri demands high level inquiry into cases of forest fires

Margao: Leader of opposition Yuri Alemao on Tuesday once again demanded that the government set up a high level inquiry headed by a retired high court judge to probe the cause of the forest fires destroying the green cover of Goa.
“It is evident now that the fire mafia is once again activated and their hand is suspected in huge fires at Paroda hills in Cuncolim and Chapoli dam area in Canacona,” Alemao said. “The government machinery is helpless to control these fires. It is shocking that the government did not take any steps to prevent such fires in eco-sensitive and forest areas despite incidents of huge fires in Goa in February and March which destroyed trees, vegetation and paddy fields in almost all talukas of Goa.”
In the last assembly session, Alemao had warned the government of fire mafia operating in Goa to convert green areas into concrete jungles, and had asked forest minister Vishwajit Rane to appoint a high level committee under a retired high court judge to investigate the fire incidents in Goa.
“I have got replies to various Legislative Assembly Questions (LAQs) which clearly reveal that the government is totally ill prepared to handle, control and manage fire incidents in eco-sensitive areas. The forest minister and the BJP government is only giving assurances without any action plan in place,” Alemao said.
Stating that these fires cannot be termed as isolated incidents, Alemao suspected “a systematic game plan to destroy green cover with an eye on the land to be used for real estate”.