Questions raised over utter failure of police, government machinery which watched helplessly as the drama unfolded
the goan I network
PANAJI
In an open show of defiance, an over-ambitious president of Goa Foundation, Claude Alvares on Saturday put himself above the law and with much fanfare went about locking the office of the Mines Department before handing over the keys to the Panaji police in full media glare.
While taking the law into his own hands, Claude declared that the Mines Department should be permanently closed because it has not acted responsibly in dealing with the mining issue.
Even as Claude went about the act of unlawfully sealing off the mines department, serious questions were being raised in public circles over the utter failure of the government machinery, including the police, which watched helplessly as the nearly one-hour drama unfolded.
That a government department office is being locked right under the nose of the police has fuelled reports that not only police authority has been undermined but whether Claude is above the law.
After this episode, Police Inspector Siddhant Shirodkar informed that a non-cognisable offence would be registered against the president of the Goa Foundation, Claude Alvares.
However, at the time of going to the press, there was no action being initiated.
Goa Foundation claimed that there is no action from the government on reserving the State for mining by a Goa Mineral Development Corporation under Secton 17A(2) of the MMDR Act.
