OLD GOA
St Andre MLA Francis Silveira on Friday said Chief Minister Pramod Sawant had assured that the Nauxim marina would be scrapped if the people did not want the proposed project.
Speaking to the media after meeting the chief minister at his official residence, Silveira stated that the chief minister said he would ask for documents pertaining to the project and after going through the same, he would announce the scrapping of the project.
The St Andre MLA was accompanied by a delegation of all the seven sarpanchas and deputy sarpanchas of his constituency, Curca-Bambolim, Siridao, Batim, Goa Velha, Agassaim, Neura and Azossim-Mandur. All the panchas of Curca-Bambolim panchayat were also part of the delegation.
Silveira’s meeting with the chief minister comes against the backdrop of the recent agitation by Goenkar Against Marina, which had resolved to intensify the agitation if the project was not scrapped.
“The chief minister has said he will make the announcement of scrapping of the marina project after Diwali as he has to go through the documents first since the project has been approved by the MPT and not the State government,” said Silveira.
“I have full faith in the chief minister that he will scrap the project in the interests of locals.”
Curca-Bambolim Deputy Sarpanch Gautam Naik said they had highlighted the hardships that would be faced by the fishing community along the Zuari river belt if the marina is allowed to come up at Nauxim.
“We informed the chief minister that fishermen along the entire belt survive on fishing for their livelihood and they would be affected if the marina project is set up at Nauxim,” said Naik, while thanking MLA Silveira for taking the lead in getting the project scrapped.
“The MLA has always been backing us in our demand for scrapping the marina project and the chief minister has also assured that he would scrap the project if the people are against it,” he added.
