Residents seek clarity on fishing zones, beautification works and impact on livelihoods ahead of gram sabha discussions
Benaulim MLA Venzy Viegas conducting a joint inspection with officials of GTDC and Colva panchayat on Thursday.
MARGAO
What’s the Tourism Department’s Swadesh Darshan 2.0 at the iconic Colva beach all about? Is the plan only about beautification of the iconic beach with illumination and added amenities or just the development of the existing shopping centre? What about the sprawling Tourism Department property, presently utilised by the local fishing communities to pursue fishing activities such as fish drying, besides storage of salt, fish, etc? Will the fishing communities be displaced from their fishing habitat to make way for the Swadesh Darshan 2.0?
These and other questions take the centre stage in the tourist village of Colva as the Goa Tourism Department Corporation (GTDC) along with Benaulim MLA Venzy Viegas, village Sarpanch Treza, former Sarpanch Suzie Fernandes and others inspected the beach area before the finalisation of the development plan.
As per the instructions issued by the Benaulim MLA, the GTDC is expected to send the draft Swadesh Darshan 2.0 to the Colva village panchayat in a day or two. After the plan is displayed at the Colva panchayat ghar, the panchayat will convene a special gram sabha to discuss the plan and to offer its suggestions and objections before the plan is accorded the green signal.
Terming the joint inspection at Colva a preliminary one, the Benaulim MLA said the meeting discussed various issues in respect of the commencement of work at the Colva shopping complex without disturbing the business activities of the stall owners. The meeting also discussed over the neglect of illumination at the beach square, pointing out the damaged and worn out lamps will be replaced with new poles. “The GTDC has been told to submit to the village panchayat in a day or two to facilitate the Colva panchayat to convene a special gram sabha to take suggestions and objections from the villagers,” he said.
To allay fears and apprehensions on the nature of Swadesh Darshan 2.0 project, the MLA tried to reassure that the government will only do what the people want after taking their objections and suggestions. “Let us conduct the exercise in a peaceful manner even if the people do not want the project. The Swadesh Darshan plan provides a life-time opportunity to resolve the Colva creek contamination issue by integrating the annual maintenance contract to ensure that Colva regains its lost glory.”
Sarpanch Treza said the panchayat would soon convene a special gram sabha to discuss the Swadesh Darshan project, saying the exercise is aimed at consulting the people and taking their suggestions how to go about the project.
Ex-sarpanch Suzie Fernandes urged the people of Colva to see the plan and give their suggestions how to take the Colva beautification project forward. “Colva is an iconic beach. Tourists are coming to Colva and we need to do what is good. Our people are dependent on tourism,” she said, adding that the Swadesh Darshan project needs to be taken forward by taking all the stakeholders into confidence.
