MAPUSA
Barely a day after the State government announced a mandatory identity card system for traditional Goan fishermen and fish vendors to safeguard the local fishing trade from "outsiders", the proposal has come under scrutiny with officials themselves admitting that no concrete implementation framework has yet been worked out.
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Thursday announced that only Goan residents who have lived in the State for at least 15 years and are engaged in the traditional fishing trade would be eligible for the identity cards.
However, inquiries by The Goan with the Directorate of Fisheries reveal that the finer details of the scheme remain undecided, with no notified guidelines on eligibility, verification or enforcement.
No roadmap yet
Senior Fisheries Department officials admitted that no detailed criteria have yet been finalised for issuing the proposed identity cards.
"In the past, the department issued paper identity cards to several fish vendors primarily on the basis of a 15-year domicile certificate," a senior official said.
"In the fresh decision announced by the government, no detailed guidelines have been framed yet. We expect registration may again be based on the 15-year domicile requirement, but nothing has been finalised," the official added.
The reliance on domicile certificates, however, raises a key question. While a 15-year domicile certificate establishes residency, it does not necessarily prove that a person is a traditional fisherman or fish vendor.
Although officials said the department maintains records of traditional fishermen and vendors, they declined to reveal how many identity cards are likely to be issued or whether a fresh verification exercise would be carried out.
Enforcement remains unclear
The government's proposal also leaves the enforcement mechanism unclear.
While Sawant has directed the police to act against unauthorised roadside fish vendors, no department has been officially designated to verify identity cards or monitor compliance.
"There were no checks earlier. Going forward, I think the police may verify the identity of fish vendors and take action wherever required, but we have received no formal instructions so far," another Fisheries Department official said.
Officials also admitted there is no clarity on what happens to non-Goan fish vendors who have been legally residing and carrying on the trade in Goa for several years.
The proposal also leaves unanswered whether registration will be mandatory, whether fish market licences will be linked to the identity cards, which agency will carry out inspections, and what penalties will apply to those found selling fish without authorisation.
Legal questions remain
Former Advocate General and Aldona MLA Carlos Ferreira said the policy would have to withstand constitutional scrutiny.
"The Constitution guarantees equality before law under Article 14 and also protects citizens against discrimination in public employment on grounds such as place of birth under Article 16. Every citizen also has the freedom to practise any profession or carry on any occupation, trade or business, subject to reasonable restrictions under Article 19," Ferreira said.
"Everything will depend on how the government drafts the scheme and what eligibility criteria it ultimately prescribes. Merely making an announcement is not enough," he said.
Questioning whether the proposal would achieve its stated objective, Ferreira said the government had not explained how the identity card system would actually protect traditional Goan fishermen.
"How exactly will these identity cards benefit Goan fishermen? Unless there is a legally sustainable and practically enforceable mechanism, it risks remaining nothing more than a political announcement," he said.
The Goan sought comments from Fisheries Minister Nilkanth Halarnkar and Director of Fisheries Shamila Monteiro, but did not receive a response till the time of going to press.
