MARGAO
With exactly a week to go for the July 8 CZMP hearing for South Goa, the district authorities are meeting on Friday to take stock of the law and order issues as well as the arrangements that will be put in place at the SGPDA parking lot for the proposed hearing.
Officials in the know informed that South Goa district Magistrate, Ruchika Katyal has called a meeting of the agencies, which is expected to be attended by district police Chief, SP Pankaj Kumar Singh, Sub-divisional Magistrate, Margao Jyoti Kumar and other police and district officials.
The contractor who has been awarded the work of erecting the pandal is also expected to attend the meeting and brief the authorities vis-Ã -vis the capacity at the venue after the parking lot is covered with rain proof roofing.
The meeting to discuss law and order and the arrangements at the venue assumes significance and comes against the backdrop of the strong objections lodged by citizens, who have been demanding postponement of the public hearing to a later date in view of the Covid situation. The public hearing has been further objected by the people on the premise that July is the wettest month in the state and that heavy rains may prevent people from South Goa from reaching the venue/.
So far, the district authorities have not taken any decision over the public hearing despite receiving objections from the citizens and groups. In fact, South Goa district Collector Ruchika Katyal had only assured the citizens that their objections will all be forwarded to the government and the Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (CZMP) for redressal.
AAP pleads for postponement
MARGAO: The Aam Admi party on Thursday made a fervent plea to the South Goa district Collector Ruchika Katyal to postpone the July 8 Coastal Zone Management Plan (CZMP) public hearing for South Goa.
A delegation of party leaders comprising of Pratima Coutinho, Capt Wenzy Viegas and others submitted a memorandum to the district Collector with a plea to defer the public hearing saying the second Covid wave is not over yet and the third wave is also expected as per Medical fraternity and the government which may dissuade the public from attending the hearing.
The memorandum pointed out that since CZMP will have a long term impact on Goa and its people, the hearing needs to be carried at the village and panchayat level to hear each and every Goan on the plan.
“There have been chaotic situations in South Goa since the government started the CZMP process. The entire process has raised suspicions in the minds of the people and there are a lot of objections against the entire plan and the way the process of finalization of the plan has been carried out by the government. The time allocated per speaker will not be enough as they won’t be able to list out their detailed objections”, Pratima told the Collector.
