MARGAO
Even as some groups, including the fishermen, are bracing up to knock the doors of the Judiciary on the day-long public hearing on the Coastal Zone Management Plan (CZMP), citizens and village panchayats appear groping in the dark for want of any official to explain the plan.
The Goan understands that some groups, including the fishermen, which had called for rescheduling of the March 7 public hearing for the entire district, have all decided to file a petition in the High Court, highlighting how the government wants to rush with the hearing when people have serious grievances on the plan.
In the meantime, Colva Panchayat has dashed off a letter to the Environment Minister Nilesh Cabral as well as the Coastal Zone Management Authority to assist the panchayat by deputing officials to explain the public on the salient features of the plan.
In a letter to the Environment Minister, Colva Sarpanch Anthony Fernandes made a plea to depute a CZMP representative to guide and explain on the draft of CZMP submitted to Village Panchayat of Colva.
“This Panchayat has received Draft Plans of Coastal Zone Management Plan (CZMP) from Block Development Officer, Margao and the same has been kept for public Consultation /Viewing. On the visit of public to this office, the first query raised by them is that they have difficulty in identifying the Survey Nos. and structures that have not been shown on the plan,” the sarpanch said, adding “we would appreciate if you could assist us to depute representative of CZMP to give explanation/ guidance on CZMP draft plan so that suggestion may be given by the public/villagers accordingly.”
Citizens from most of the villages have raised similar questions, pointing out that they will better understand the plan if the government deputes officials at the panchayat to explain the plans.
That’s not all. Most of the panchayats have complained that the plan sent by the government does not at all reflect the suggestions and recommendations made by the panchayats after meetings and discussions by the villagers.
The riverine and coastal villages of Salcete have already raised concerns over the marking of the river Sal as “port limits”, with the panchayat bodies questioning whether the provision will force the people to knock the doors of the Centre for permission for land development given that the Ports come under the Central government.
