Panaji (Goa) [India], May 9 (ANI): Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Monday welcomed the Supreme Court's decision to cancel the clearance of the standing committee of the National Board of Wildlife for the double-tracking project in Goa.

AAP Leader and former MLA and minister Alina Saldanha said, "This is a victory of the people of Goa. It exposes the BJP government's nefarious plan to destroy the environment of Goa and the homes of Goans with a project that was completely against the interest of Goa and Goans."

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Saldanha recalled how she had marked the alignment of the double-track in her Cortalim constituency, and demonstrated to the Chief Minister Pramod Sawant how the homes of Goans would be destroyed by this needless project.

Vice-President of the Goa unit Surel Tilve said that the project threatened the world-renowned biodiversity hotspot of Goa, namely the Western Ghats. Tilve said that AAP had consistently opposed the linear projects, which were conceived only to kowtow to the coal lobby at the cost of land and the environment of Goans.

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AAP leader Valmiki Naik said, "The Sawant government and South Western Railway must now admit their misadventure, and respect the wishes of the people of Goa by not reapplying for the NBWL approval."

Naik further stated that any attempt to rekindle the double-tracking project would prove that CM Pramod Sawant is only interested in destroying the legacy of late Manohar Parrikar who in 2013 had vehemently opposed the same project in the interest of Goa.

The Supreme Court on Monday cancelled the green clearance granted to the doubling of the railway line between Tinaighat-Castlerock in Karnataka and Kulem in Goa. (ANI)

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