CANACONA
The gram sabha of Agonda village was adjourned for wants of quorum even as the panchayat body rejected the new draft CZMP in its monthly meeting.
According to Sarpanch Badal Naikgaunkar, Sunday’s gram sabha was scheduled with several other agenda including discussion on new draft CZMP. “There was no quorum and even before the gram sabha could commence the few present objected to the hearing scheduled on March 7 for South Goa, saying the new CZMP is fully faulty and doesn’t take care of the villagers’ sustainability. Even existing houses are not shown, some members complained,” the sarpanch said.
“However, the gram sabha stands postponed to March 14. Whereas Agonda Panchayat elected members having discussed the CZMP in its, monthly meeting has outrightly rejected the plan as full of errors. Government can reconsider our village plan prepared by making expenditures of over 80,000 and previously submitted. We have also decided not to attend the hearings on March 7, but requests government to depute experts to explain the new draft CZMP,” informed Badal Naikgaunkar.
Incidentally, except for one, all panch members were present before the gram sabha was called off and postponed to March 14.
Meanwhile, neighbouring Khola panchayat has also rejected the new draft CZMP outright, terming it as incomplete.
In the gram sabha held last Sunday, Khola panchayat returned the draft plan for missing on several important people-oriented issues.
Khola Sarpanch Purna Nayak informed villagers that some of the demands are for removal of Port Limits as the coasts, the sea, and the lands belong to villagers and have been in uninterrupted possession of the local communities, structures of local communities existing for centuries together have not been shown threatening locals of mass displacement, traditional pathways not shown, threatening locals access to the village coasts, religious structures not shown such as four temples at Kuddi, chapel at Nuem and numerous other religious structures in the village are not demarcated in the CZMP. Dubious demarcation of Olive Green Line in Cabo de Rama fort, when there’s not such legend in the village.
The villagers also objected to the wrong demarcation of the Cabo de Rama Bay as Rama Bay. The incorrect name given to Cabo De Rama bay is without application of mind or collecting data by the authorities. They also objected to the naming of Nuem Bay as Canaguinim Bay and demanded demarcation of spurious growth of mangroves in Khazans. Besides, wrong demarcation of Nuem fresh water rivulet flowing down steep slope is shown as CRZ water body.
Khola panchayat has also demanded immediate revocation of public hearing notification and asked to hold consultations with the panchayats and the people to correct the grave anomalies.
