PANAJI: Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar steadfastly defended the government's decision to "notify six of Goa's rivers as rivers of national importance" as well as sign a tripartite MoU with the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI), the Mormugao Port Trust and saying that the MoU will help ensure that control over the rivers, which would otherwise be lost to the central government and the IWAI with the notification of these rivers, will now be brought back to the State Government's Captain of Ports Department.
The public presentation at the Instituto Menezes Bragança which saw a thin attendance, and consisted of opposition MLAs as well as members of the Our Rivers Our Rights movement and other activists saw several persons questioning the logic of the government's thinking.
Among those who spoke against the notification, Ponda MLA Ravi Naik questioned why the government didn't just seek a grant from the government if the whole point was to ensure funds from the central government to carry out dredging.
"You should have just got a grant from the centre and ended the matter," Naik said.
To those who questioned the government on the inclusion of Goa's rivers in the Act in the first place Parrikar was of the opinion that the state government had neither the say nor power to enact or amend laws concerning issues that are under the domain of the central government.
"The law is already done by parliament. At that time (in 2016) nobody said anything. Neither me nor you (referring to Ravi Naik) has the powers to change the central government's act. The constitution has given them the powers," Parrikar said.
"If you have the problem with the Act, you should approach your MP. People should write to their MPs that Goa's rivers should be removed," Parrikar said. To another similar question on the power of the central government, Parrikar suggested that those who believe that the central government's act is illegal are free to approach the Supreme Court.
"It won't be the first time that an Act of Parliament is being struck down. It has happened in the past," Parrikar said.
"If we don't sign the MoU, the powers will remain with the IWAI and we will have no powers over these national waterways and for every single permission we will have to run to Delhi for permissions," Parrikar said.
He also insisted that activities like fishing and others would in no way be affected as the central government had no power to regulate fishing as it fell firmly in the state list.
"We have taken back all permissions to the Captain of Ports except the permission for constructing bridges across the waterways. But this is only a government to government decision," Parrikar said.
Earlier the Secretary (Ports) Govind Jaiswal gave a presentation which explained the history of the waterways, the powers and responsibilities of the various agencies involved in the declaration.
The presentation was accompanied by a silent protest outside the venue where protesters held banners and flags against the government's move to ‘nationalise the rivers.'
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RAVI VS PARRIKAR AT
INSTITUTO MENEZES
PONDA MLA
* Why the government didn't just seek a grant from the government if the whole point was to ensure funds from the central government to carry out dredging
CHIEF MINISTER
* At that time (in 2016) nobody said anything. Neither me nor you has the powers to change the central government's act. The constitution has given them (Parliament) the powers
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If we don't sign the MoU, the powers will remain with the IWAI and we will have no powers over these national waterways and for every single permission we will have to run to Delhi for permissions
- Manohar Parrikar
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