Says project not for tourism, but coal transportation
MARGAO
People’s power reigned supreme on Sunday as an extraordinary gram sabha of the Loutolim Panchayat in one voice gave its thumbs down to the controversial jetty project at Rassaim, asserting the jetty project is not proposed to develop tourism, but is intended for the transportation of coal under the Sagarmala project.
The gram sabha meeting chaired by newly-elected Sarpanch Joana Fernandes saw a massive turn out of members, with villagers armed with banners and placards, demanding in unison to revoke the NOC issued by the Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA) for the project.
As a lady gram sabha member read the resolutions one after another, there was thunderous response from the huge crowd, saying a firm no not only to the jetty proposal, but has demanded denotification of the nationalisation of rivers, withdrawal of Port Limits and giving the rivers in the hands of the local authorities.
In one resolution, the villagers rejected the proposal mooted by the Captain of Ports, Inland Waterways Authority of India and government of Goa to construct a jetty at Rassaim, further demanding the revocation of the NOC issued by the GCZMA and other permissions granted, if any, by the concerned authorities.
They further demanded that the Village Panchayat of Loutolim and Government of Goa shall ensure that the Sagarmala programme for Goa and all associated projects be rejected and revoked, demanding further that the Village Panchayat of Loutolim and government of Goa ensure that river Zuari and other rivers of Goa are removed from the schedule to the National Waterways Act.
The meeting further resolved that the Village Panchayat of Loutolim and government of Goa ensure that the stretch of river Zuari along Loutolim village is removed from the Port Limits and from the ambit of the Major Port Authorities Act.
In another resolution, the meeting resolved that no projects related to the development of the rivers or adjoining lands, except maintenance of the bunds and khazans by local communities using traditional methods and materials, shall be permitted until all the resolutions of the gram sabha held on Sunday are honoured and implemented.
The meeting demanded that the panchayat shall send these resolutions to the Captain of Ports, the Chief Minister of Goa, the Inland Waterways Authorities of India, Government of India and all other concerned authorities. The members demanded that these authorities shall do all that is necessary, including engaging the authorities and the courts, to ensure that the resolutions are implemented, requesting them to instead plan for, and to invest in, restoring the glory of our rivers, khazana and villages through ecological restoration and revival of agriculture, fisheries and other traditional, sustainable economic activities of the local communities.
