MARGAO
With the Tourism Department now asking local bodies to hold discussions on the draft Jetty Policy 2022, the Gram Sabha of Loutolim Panchayat on Sunday perhaps became the first Panchayat to deliberate upon the controversial jetty policy before unanimously resolving to reject it.
After adopting the resolution at the meeting chaired by Sarpanch Joana Fernandes on Sunday, the gram sabha asked the Panchayat to write accordingly to the Tourism Department along with the resolution.
The resolution opposing the Jetty Policy made it clear that until coal transportation plans in the Sagarmala Programme are cancelled and the state rivers are removed from the schedule to the National Waterways Act, 2016 and from port limits and the ambit of the Major Ports Authority Act, 2021, no proposals or policies for new jetties can be considered or allowed.
The resolution further stated that no policies or projects related to 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 the resolutions of the Gram Sabha under A and B above are honoured and implemented.
The resolution further stated that the Panchayat shall do all that is necessary, including engaging authorities and courts, to ensure that the resolutions are implemented, and shall request the authorities to instead plan for restoring the glory of our rivers, khazans and villages through ecological restoration and revival of agriculture, fisheries and other traditional activities.
Contrary to Tourism Minister Rohan Khaunte’s statements that the policy is only related to tourism, the Loutolim gram sabha members pointed out that the jetty policy clearly empowers the Jetty Management Committee (JMC) to decide the carrying capacity of any river of Goa.
That’s not all. The gram sabha said that contrary to the statements made by Khaunte that the policy is only related to existing 4-5 tourism jetties in the State of Goa, paragraph 4.2, b) the draft policy empowers JMC to advice the State Government as regards need to construct additional jetties under Central / State Government schemes.
“These paragraphs of the draft policy also empower the JMC to recommend development of any new tourism-centric jetty in Goa along with ancillary tourism activities”.
The resolution stated that empowerment of JMC to decide on new jetties in the State of Goa violates the rights of the indigenous communities of our village and Goa.
Saying the draft Jetty Policy reveals that the new jetties will have private owners and operators and shall be only for private profit of such rich private owners, the gram sbaha pointed out there is absolutely no Public Interest behind the construction of these jetties.
