the goan I network
VASCO
Goenchea Raponkarancho Ekvott (GRE), while expressing displeasure over the recent grounding of the naptha-laden tanker off Dona Paula coast, has on Monday demanded the suspension of Mormugao Port Trust (MPT) chairman Dr E Ramesh Kumar.
Claiming that the MPT chairman was responsible for allowing the unmanned chemical tanker carrying nearly 2500 MT of naphtha in its jurisdiction, GRE demanded that all the MLAs of Mormugao taluka raise this issue with the Chief Minister and de-notify MPT jurisdiction at the earliest.
GRE general secretary Olencio Simoes, in a press release, said that if the ship cracks then the entire sea will be polluted and there will be complete destruction of marine life for the next 10 years within the radius of 25 km of where the ship is grounded and the coastline will be non-accessible to the people of Goa and tourists.
“MPT instead of working in liaison with the State government in the best interest of the people of Goa has been functioning as a state within a state with scant regards to the laws and rules of this State. For the last two decades, MPT has continuously violated the law of the land and has only created destruction of the environment, loss of livelihoods and deterioration of the health of the people residing in Mormugao taluka,” said the press note.
“MPT does not have any right to lease and sell our land to any company nor sub lease property to other companies to build projects like marinas, ports, jetties, etc in Goa. The MPT has taken possession of a large chunk of Goa’s land in Mormugao taluka. While prior to 1964, MPT had only 6,84,706 square metres of land in its possession, presently it has around 13,74,757 square metres of land in its possession,” said the press note.
“As per the minutes of the meeting jointly chaired by then CM Digambar Kamat and late Manohar Parrikar in 2011, it was assured to us that certain matters relating to MPT and the fisherfolk of Khariwado would be addressed forthwith. The MPT and the Government of Goa has clearly agreed that the MPT’s jurisdiction would be de-notified. We request the current government to not forget the promise made in their manifesto to de-notify MPT jurisdiction over inland and coastal waters,” said the press note.
