PANAJI, Aug 7: Jounalists in Goa came out in vociferous protest in a spontaneous show of anger outside the Secretariat against the new Right to Information Act.

The bone of contention now is the provision in the Bill which gives the Government the power to punish journalists for misinformation.

Ironically, the Bill, passed by the Assembly last week amidst a noisy protest expressions and gheraoing of politicians by journalists, provides for giving the citizens access to information.

Journalists bodies including the Goa Union of Journalists and the Goa Editor's Guild which had organised the protests have demanded the withdrawal of the objectionable clause in the Bill as soon as possible. Separate delegations of editors and working journalists are to meet State Governor P C Alexander to request him to withdraw his assent to the Bill till the objectionable clause was rescinded. Addressing a meeting, Rajan Narayan, Editor of a local English daily urged journalists to organise awareness campaigns to educate the public on the the atrocious implications of the bill.

Goa Today editor Ashwin Tombat echoed the sentiments of the media pointing that the objectionable section was out of place given the objective of the bill.

All Goa Newspaper Employees' Association President Flaviano Dias said the government's commitment to transparency in the administration had become a farce. In the light of their move to curb the people's right to information via the stricture that the clause would impose, the Government was showing its callous attitude to journalists.

GUJ President Prakash Kamat warned that the bill would be an attempt to question the credibility of journalists.

Meanwhile, the Goa Cabinet has decided to ask the National Institute of Oceanography to prepare the environment impact assessment study to analyse the impact of Karnataka's proposed Mahadai river hydro-electric project on Goa.

State Chief Minister Pratapsing Rane told newsmen after a cabinet meeting that only after the environmental assessment would the government consider granting approval to the project. He said Karnataka had offered to ask the Karnataka University to undertake a study into the environmental repucussions.

The Mahadai river is shared by Goa and Karnataka is a key water supply source to the State and the project involves construction of 40 dams to be built in Karnataka. Much controversy exists about this project in Goa since it is feared that the bunding of the river in the upper reaches of Karnataka would dry the Duhsagar falls affecting the water supply for drinking and agriculture in the State.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.