Margao: Dismissing chief minister Pramod Sawant’s verbal assurances — including a suggestion to replace the bandhara with a jackwell — Mirabag protesters have announced that they would shift their agitation to Azad Maidan in Panaji from Monday, even as the stir entered its 47th day on Sunday. The protesters said they would not settle for anything less than scrapping of the bandhara project in its entirety.“We are not against a jackwell project per se, but we want a written order scrapping the bandhara project completely. The chief minister can take the jackwell anywhere else. What we will not accept is an oral promise that can be reversed tomorrow,” said protest leader Sanke t Bhandari.Residents have been opposing the project over fears that the structure across the Zuari river would cause widespread flooding of agricultural land, damage homes, and inflict irreversible environmental damage on the village. The project, they argue, threatens the livelihoods of farming communities across three constituencies of Sanguem, Sanvordem and Curchorem.The community’s frustration has been building since Wednesday’s meeting with the CM, facilitated by BJP state president Damodar Naik, which protesters described as hurried and inconclusive. “Everything was wrapped up in 30 minutes. That is not how a serious issue deserves to be handled,” said protester Apa Naik.Villagers also questioned the financial rationale behind retaining the Rs 400-crore project outlay when the scope had purportedly changed, and demanded that any alternative plan involve fresh cost estimates and a new tender — at a different site.The agitation has already seen torch rallies, gheraos and even a dramatic banner protest inside the state legislative assembly. The protesters said that not a single MLA from the three affected constituencies of Sanguem, Sanvordem and Curchorem has publicly supported the movement or visited the site.
