Goa: Delegation raises concerns on communal riots inquiry

Herald (http://oheraldo.in/)
June 19, 2006

Delegation raises concerns on communal riots inquiry

HERALD NEWS DESK PANJIM, JUNE 17-- With barely a week to go for the completion of the one-month period given for the magisterial inquiry into the Sanvordem-Curchorem riots, a delegation of Citizens’ Initiatives for Communal Harmony comprising Ramesh Gauns, Sameer Khan, Albertina Almeida, Niraj Naik and Vidhyadhar Gadgil called on the chief secretary and raised their concerns about the magisterial inquiry while focussing on the need for action against the instigators of the communal violence including the political leaders who made inflammatory speeches.

The chief secretary assured the delegation that the administration would be responsive and suggested that the delegation meet the collector in relation to the modalities and content of the inquiry.
The delegation later called on the North Goa collector to impress on him the need for adequate and appropriate publicity to the schedule of the hearings at Quepem and Sanvordem and the need to create a fear-free environment for the people to depose before the collector.
The collector informed the delegation that there was a likelihood that he would have his first local sitting over the weekend at one of the taluka mamlatdar offices followed by a sitting at the other taluka mamlatdar
The collector also stated that people were welcome to contact the Collector with suggestions and affidavits and other material evidence for the inquiry as regards what happened and why and how it happened.