Staff Reporter

Margao

Quepem MLA Altone D’Costa on Tuesday red-flagged a proposal regarding a mine in Betul-Naquerim saying the people of his constituency do not want mining activity in the area. He urged the government to hand over 25,000 square metres of land from Naquerim IDC for construction of a hospital, panchayat ghar and playground.

Speaking at the commemoration of completion of 350 years of coronation day of Chhatrapati Shivaji at Betul fort, D’Costa said that a mining company has misrepresented facts and claimed that there is no fort within 10-kilometre radius of the proposed mine whereas the distance is less than two kilometres. He said the government should decide if they want to conserve the fort or facilitate mining activity.

He said he had earlier urged the government to install a statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji at the fort and raised the issue once again and said that “on one hand we celebrate Shivaji at the fort and on the other there is a proposal for starting a mine. Within these two kms, there are churches, temples, mosques and fort and the people do not want any kind of mining activity.”

He said he had urged the government to hand over 25,000 square metres of land from the 8 lakh square metres acquired by IDC for developing a hospital, panchayat ghar and a playground for Betul panchayat.