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Media Release
 
Panaji, Jun 3: The Governor, Dr S S Sidhu, promised full justice to the tribal population of Goa and added that proper inquiry would be made in last week’s violence at Balli in which two precious lives were lost, and that the guilty would be punished.
 
Dr Sidhu, who undertook a fact-finding mission by visiting Balli and Quepem in connection with the violence, conferred with the local people besides Prakash Velip, president of United Tribal Associations Alliance, Chandrakant Kavlekar, MLA of Quepem, and Agnelo Fernandes, Deputy Collector, and made keen inquiries about the circumstances leading to the violence and arson, which caused loss of life and property.
 
At the same time, the Governor appealed to all concerned to maintain total peace and harmony in keeping with the high tradition of the people of Goa. He stated that violence does not augur well with peace-loving Goans.
 

Dr Sidhu sanctioned Rs 1 lac each as a token of relief from his discretionary fund to the families of Mangesh Gaonkar and Dilip Velip, who were found dead during the violence. He made it clear that this was not compensation as the lives lost were invaluable.
 
Referring to the points made by Velip, the Governor stated that the State Government had almost met ten out of their 12 demands and that action would be taken on the remaining two in due course.
 
Velip brought to the notice of the Governor that while the protest was peaceful throughout the day and until a meeting was held with the Minister for Tribal Affairs and senior Government officers, problem arose only after the District Collector ordered the lathi charge.
 
Dr Sidhu, who visited the organic unit of the cooperative society, which was the scene of arson, and the Adarsh Cooperative Society, felt that violence could have been avoided through proper preventive action and the two lives could have been saved.