Goa scraps controversial development plan following church–led campaign

Following a church–led campaign, the Goa state government dropped a controversial land development plan, reported the local media.

State Chief Minster Digambar Kamat wrote to the federal government saying the planned 15 special economic zones (SEZs) in villages across Goa were untenable and should be scrapped.

Kamat, members of his Cabinet and top ranking government officials, according to the UCA news, attended the party that Archbishop Filipe Neri Ferrao of Goa and Daman hosted at his residence in Panaji, Goa's capital, 1,910 kilometers southwest of New Delhi.

A Church source told UCA news that during the party, the archbishop told the politicians the government often finds itself in the "delicate situation" of differentiating between contentious opponents and genuine "truth workers." The Church, he assured them, involves itself in civic matters not for political reasons but to ensure peace in society and development for the poor.

The state government is now seeking to get the federal government to scrap the project entirely and to "de–notify," or withdraw permission for, the three SEZs already started. The state has argued it cannot provide water and electricity for the SEZs, media reported.

Goa consists of at least 27 percent Christian Catholics, who play active role in the states administration and affairs. Goan culture often is associated with a Catholic lifestyle inherited from the Portuguese.