A federal minister in India has come under fire for indirectly accusing Catholics and environ-mentalists in Goa for blocking development in the former Portuguese colony which they say harms the environment and local culture. Road Transport, High-ways and Shipping Minister, Nitin Gadkari, said that “a microscopic minority” has been blocking major projects worth more than US$150 million in the name of protecting the environ-ment.
The projects include plans to widen main roads, expand ports and to develop water transport via the state’s two major rivers — Mandovi and Zurari.
“There is opposition among a few groups,” the minister told an annual meeting of the Goa Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
