MAPUSA
Calangute MLA Michael Lobo on Monday said the upheaval on the jetty policy stems from the fear among the locals that they may lose out the water sports activity to outsiders.
Lobo also said that Zilla Panchayat members should be allotted more funds to focus on bigger projects rather than concentrating on the same work done by panchayat members.
“My strong belief is that at least the water sports activity should remain with our locals. People think it will be given out to somebody else…to outside players who will bring more boats. That should not happen,” Lobo said.
The coastal MLA was speaking to the media on the sidelines of a function at Arpora-Nagoa.
Continuing, Lobo said the tourism department’s jetty policy was not new and it was sought to be introduced when Dilip Parulekar was the tourism minister.
“That time also, there was a big noise from the locals and the plan was shelved,” he said.
He said there is no problem if the jetties were developed for the sake of passengers.
“The existing jetties should be strengthened and given to locals or the panchayat concerned. Then locals will not have a problem,” he said.
Opposition political parties and the locals have expressed strong resentment against the government’s plans to formulate the Draft Jetty Policy 2022 in the State.
The Department of Tourism has now extended the time limit for eliciting comments from the public on the draft jetty policy up to October 31.
According to the Calangute MLA, apart from the issue of funds allocation there were several other issues hampering the functioning of the Zilla Panchayat.
He said the Goa Scheduled Rate (GSR) has gone up manifold and Rs 50 lakh allotted to a ZP member was not enough even to carry out work of one gutter.
“There is a need for out of the box thinking. A ZP should focus on sports activities and take up projects like children’s park, football ground, futsal ground, badminton court etc. Or he can even think of setting up an e-library instead of concentrating on the same works done by panchayat members,” Lobo said.
He said the chief minister should apply his mind and assign a significant role to ZP members.
On the poor response by voters in the ZP by-polls, he said, people were probably bored of having to repeatedly come out and vote in elections.
“It’s not about candidates. Election has happened all of a sudden. People also get upset and fed up to vote again and again. Whoever got convinced has come and voted for the candidates,” he said.
He also said that the BJP candidate in Reis Magos will go through in the by-election.
