VASCO
All Goa Fishing Boat Owners Association President Jose Philip D'Souza on Saturday requested Vasco MLA Krishna Salkar to raise the issue of the dilapidated fishing jetty in the upcoming assembly session for the benefit of fishermen in the port town.
Addressing a news conference, D'Souza said that Vasco is the only place in the State where fishermen have suffered economically due to the dilapidated fishing jetty.
"The dilapidated fishing jetty at Kharewado has affected the fisherman so much that people are now opting to sell their boats and look for other sources of income. We have made all attempts to get the issue highlighted by calling former fisheries minister Philip Neri Rodrigues and even Vasco MLA Krishna Salkar for an inspection," said D’Souza.
"We even wrote several letters to authorities and even the CMO but no one seems to be interested. We are still operating from a 50-year-old temporary jetty that is completely dilapidated and endangering the lives of our workers," said D'Souza.
He claimed that union minister Nitin Gadkari had earlier laid the foundation stone for a world-class fishing jetty for them, but nothing has happened ever since.
“We have around 300 boats and a small jetty and these boats often brush against each other and get damaged. The cost to repair the boat is more than the profit we make and people have opted to either sell their boats or stop the business. Besides, boats bringing a fresh catch of fish have to remain outside because there are already some boats present in the jetty.”
“While the government has spent on giving a very good jetty at Panaji and Betul, authorities don't look at Vasco and we don't know the reason," said D’Souza.
"We have only been asking for an extension of the existing jetty. I request the legislators, especially Vasco MLA Krishna Salkar, to discuss the issue in the assembly for the benefit of fishermen in Vasco," said D’Souza.
