Goa Prime Minister Pramod Sawant again defended on Thursday three controversial infrastructure projects in his state that have had environmentalists at arms length while telling his Delhi counterpart Arvind Kejriwal that he did not need his advice on the matter.
The two leaders exchanged harsh words on the issue for a second day on Twitter on Thursday.
There have been midnight protests against the double track of a railway line from Goa to Karnataka, as well as a highway expansion and a proposed power transmission line project that will pass through Goa’s oldest wildlife sanctuary, the Bhagwan Mahavir Wildlife Sanctuary in Mollem and Mollem National. Park.
Also Read: ‘Worry About Delhi First’ – Goa CM Pramod Sawant’s Advice To Arvind Kejriwal
The projects will cost 170 hectares of forest land and around 55,000 trees. Activists fear the projects will destroy the sanctuary and pristine Western Ghats ecosystem for which it was designed. They say the railway was being doubled to expand coal transport capacity from Goa’s Mormugao port to northern Karnataka. The railways and Sawant have allayed fears by saying nothing like this was being planned.
“Doubling railways is a nation-building exercise. There is no threat to Mollem [Wildlife Sanctuary] and we will make sure it stays that way. We will not allow Goa to become [a] coal center. Knowing his experience in creating problems between the Center and the State, we will omit his advice, ”Sawant said in a tweet.
Kejriwal responded by saying that Sawant should listen to the people of Goa. “@DrPramodPSawant ji, you don’t need to listen to my advice, but please listen to the voices of Goans. Shouldn’t Goans have a say in their own state? Is the central diktat more important than the voices of Goa?
Kejriwal previously suggested that the Center was “forcing this project on Goa”, prompting Sawant’s response.
“Dear CM @ArvindKejriwal ji, we make sure that there are no pollution problems in Goa and our government will make sure that our state remains pollution free. I’m sure the people of Delhi also want the same in its beautiful state, ”Sawant said.
Kejriwal previously said that Goans opposed the double rail project. “Please listen to his voice n #savemollem as they are Goa lungs. I get it [the] Center is forcing this project in Goa. “Stand up with (with) Goa, say NO 2 center and save Goa from becoming coal center.”
Kejriwal said it is not about the pollution of Delhi versus Goa. “Both Delhi and Goa are dear to me. We are all one country. We all have to work together to make sure there is no pollution in both Delhi and Goa, ”Kejriwal said.
Sawant was previously quoted as saying that Kejriwal should take care of his own state.
On Wednesday, Sawant said separately that the largest amount of coal was handled in 2017 when 14 million tons of coal were imported, which has since dropped to around 9-10 million tons. “I have discussed this with the Union Minister of Maritime Transport that it should be reduced further. We will not cross those high levels again, ”Sawant said.
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