MARGAO
Benaulim MLA Churchill has extended his total support to the seven panchayats from Benaulim constituency in their resolutions against the draft Costal Zone Management Plan (CZMP), which exposed several anomalies in the draft plan. He also backed all those who have been opposing the draft plan.
He pointed out that the panchayats from Cavelossim, Carmona, Orlim, Varca, Benaulim, Colva and Seraulim have in one voice expressed their anger and are hurt at the proposal which affects their future. "It is the panchayats that understand better the relation between the people and its land. It is the village panchayats that understand Goa's riverine ecosystem better than a group sitting in Chennai," pointed out Churchill.
"The unique, age-old relationship between the people and the land is fully understood by the people and as such the plan cannot be thrust on the villagers arbitrarily in just 30 days, ignoring the hundreds of blunders in the plans which have been identified by the villagers. The plan was to be put in 2013 but it dragged for eight years now albeit with ulterior motives," stressed Churchill.
"There are villages missing from the draft plan. Sand dunes and fish mending areas have not been mentioned and the fishing wards marked in some cases are beyond 500 metres from the coast. How can a fisherman drag his boat far beyond 500 metres in the water each day? Fishermen live in the water and not 500 metres away. These mistakes are a reflection that the ground realities and the way of life of rural Goans have been totally ignored. It is very shocking that these mistakes have been now dumped on the people," remarked Churchill.
Saying that people did not get these plans on time, he said copies of the draft have reached in the last days of February, thus giving no time for appropriate response. “The plans were not explained to the villagers. People like fishermen, agricultural bodies, comunidades, khazan land groups were not taken into confidence. And worse, people will get just five minutes to raise objections and genuine concerns. This is not people's participation. People need to know the eight-year delay. And now, we come with anti-people plan which my panchayats have realised that it has to be fought tooth and nail,” he said.
“The faulty plan has to be scrapped as 60 days need to be given for the receipt of suggestions and objections. I salute all my panchayats for not falling in line as it affects their very future of existence. These are very genuine and serious protests as Goa's future is at stake,” he said, adding “if the proposed draft is implemented then villagers, panchayats will lose control over the village land and rivers.
