POWER OFCANACONA: A day after the fiasco at Pernem, the public hearing on Coastal Zonal Management Plan (CZMP) at Canacona too met with protests and boycott on Saturday. Hundreds of residents from Canacona gathered outside the municipal hall, the venue of the hearing, shouting slogans and displaying placards to express outright rejection of the coastal plan in its present form.
PROTEST
>> A sea of residents almost laid siege to the entrance of the municipal hall
>> Efforts of a number of people who wanted to enter the hall scuttled
>> Slogans raised, placards displayed to express rejection CZMP in present form
With a handful in attendance, mostly consisting of officials from the Canacona Municipality and Canacona Mamlatdar's office, Minister for Environment Nilesh Cabral addressed them while Environment Officer Sanjiv Joglekar in the presence of Jt Collector (South) Johnson Fernandes gave a presentation explaining in brief the pros and cons of CZMP. Also present on the dais was CMC Chairperson Nitu Desai, Councillors Chaya Komarpant and Hemant Naikgaunkar, Khola sarpanch Purna Nayak.
Canacona MLA Isidore Fernandes made a brief appearance and left the hall to be on the opposing team.
The main action was outside the meeting hall as a sea of residents almost laid siege to the entrance of municipal hall, scuttling the efforts of a number of people who wanted to enter the hall. Former Loliem-Polem sarpanch Bhushan Prabhugaonkar while trying to break through the 'siege' was heard saying that he wants to give a representation to the environment minister, but his pleas fell on deaf ears.
Meanwhile, the protesting speakers were unanimous in calling for scrapping of GCZMA in totality and start fresh with proper studies and plans afresh involving each and every concerns of the residents.
They said CZMP in present form was totally against Goan people and that, no traditional rights such as fishermen, houses/structures of toddy trappers, pathways or religious places/sentiments of the people were protected.
Ex-CMC Chairperson Simon Rebello, Diya Shetkar, Vikas Bhagat, Sandesh Telekar, Dennis Fernandes, Abhijeet Prabhudessai were some of the activists who spoke about the grave discrepancies in the present plan while calling for its scrapping.
Congress MLA Reginald Lourence was in Chaudi but could not reach the meeting hall because of the heavy crowd outside was accused by some of the activists of he bringing Canacona people on the roads against the Mopa Airport but failed to stand his ground on the issue. Reginald responded amidst the noisy crowd saying he was still with the people over Mopa issue and that he has not run away from it.
Reginald was seen with the crowed in company of GPCC General Secretary Janardhan Bhandari.
After the official presentation, while leaving the meeting hall, Environment minister Nilesh Cabral sought to speak to the crowd. " I will convey the message of Canacona people to the National Centre for Coastal Management. We will prepare another plan in consultation with the people," he said, to which some of the activists quickly countered him, asking why only convey sentiments to NCCM and not agree with the people for scrapping the CZMP in its present form.
