Boat owners body alleges govt stepmotherly treatment
VASCO
A portion of the dilapidated Kharewaddo fishing jetty collapsed on Tuesday morning while loading and unloading works were in progress.
Fortunately, there were no injuries or loss of life, though a wooden fishing boat suffered minor damages.
Goa Fishing Boat Owners Association President Jose Philip D’Souza mocked the State government over the collapse, dubbing it as a “Ganesh Chaturthi gift” for the fishing community.
“We are tired of approaching all authorities regarding our jetty at Kharewaddo. The Government has been giving us stepmotherly treatment despite several assurances from successive fishing ministers and even union ministers. While other jetties in the State have received facilities, Kharewaddo has always been ignored,” D’Souza said.
He added, “We were expecting a gift from the Government during Ganesh Chaturthi in the form of schemes, incentives or subsidies. Instead, we got a bigger gift with the jetty collapsing and endangering our lives. This was expected because our pleas have always been ignored. The government has not even carried out annual maintenance this year.”
Highlighting the shortage of space, D’Souza said, “We only have an 80-metre jetty for 250 boats. Now with a portion collapsing, the problem will worsen. We fear walking on this jetty and only God can save us from a bigger disaster. If maintenance is not taken up, the entire jetty may collapse one day, forcing us to load and unload in the anchorage.”
D’Souza informed that he has already sent photographs of the collapsed section to the Fisheries Minister, the local MLA, the fisheries director and other authorities.
“They have said they will come for a site inspection, but we are not sure about that,” he said.
