VDC says plan wrongly shows PHC, park as port area
The Carmona Village Development Committee deliberating on the Salcete BDO’s directions to send suggestions and objections to the plan. (Right) The Carmona draft-CZMP.
MARGAO
The Village Development Committee (VDC) of the Carmona village panchayat on Sunday convened to discuss the draft-2019 Coastal Zone Management Plan (CZMP) has resolved to ask the government to extend the deadline for submitting suggestions and objection to the plan.
The meeting also raised concern over the fact that the village has been incorrectly shown as a port area, including the land covering the primary health centre and the park.
At the VDC meeting chaired by Sarpanch Sandra Fernandes, the members were unanimous in their views that the CZMP exercise cannot be decided in a haste, saying the people need to be given adequate time to discuss on the draft plan.
The VDC meeting further decided that the resolution adopted at the meeting seeking extension of time to submit suggestions and objections will be placed for discussion at an emergency panchayat body meeting scheduled for January 19.
The VDC members have been requested to review the draft plans carefully, as several discrepancies have been identified.
The main concern raised was that a part of the village has been incorrectly shown as a port area, including land covering the primary health centre and the village panchayat park.
Members were also informed that there is widespread opposition to the CRZ 2019 notification, as it is considered regressive, with several protections available under the CRZ 2011 notification having been diluted.
Sarpanch Sandra Fernandes later told the media that the VDC had a meeting on Sunday to discuss the draft CZMP since the panchayat and the villagers were hardly given any time to offer suggestions and objections. “Today, we have invited resource person Avinash Tavares to enlighten the VDC members on the draft-CZMP. We have discussed some points, but the members have unanimously resolved to seek extension of the January 20 deadline,” Sandra said.
Tavares told The Goan that the draft CZMP has proposed to reduce the NDZ along the coastal belt, by excluding the land ward side of the road passing through the coastline from the NDZ.
“If one compared the draft-2019 CZMP to the 2011 plan, there is a big difference between the two plans,” Tavares added.
