PANAJI
Concerned that the Coastal Zone Management Plan (CZMP) would have widespread implications for their village, residents of Siridao turned up in large numbers at the public hearing in Campal on Thursday and put forth their apprehensions and objections to the draft CZMP.
Fear and anxiety among residents from this tiny village were such that Pale-Siridao Sarpanch Jagdish Gauns, panch members, experts and people from different walks of life came forward to voice their dissent to the draft CZMP.
Claiming that the port limits were not shown in the draft CZMP, they feared that the entire village would be included in the jurisdiction of Mormugao Port Trust.
Pale-Siridao Panch Antonio Alphonso demanded that the hearing should be conducted at the panchayat level as there were hundreds of people from the village who have questions about the plan.
He also alleged that historic caves and heritage sites from the village were not recorded in the present plan and added that while many hotels were shown in the plan, traditional houses of fishermen were not included in the draft CZMP.
He also criticised GCZMA authorities for stressing on Aadhaar Cards for registration to submit their views about CZMP.
"Does it mean that people with no Aadhaar Cards have no right to raise their views about the draft CZMP," asked Alphonso.
Pale-Siridao Sarpanch Jagdish Gauns demanded that the Village Level Plan submitted by the panchayat to the government should be incorporated by the GCZMA.
A resident, Jose Pinto, alleged that the entire exercise of public hearing on the draft CZMP was an eyewash.
“The CZMP plan should be prepared by experts from Goa in consultation with Goan people, unlike the present draft which has been outsourced to an agency from Hyderabad,” said Pinto.
He questioned whether the state government had the power to remove the port limits once it is was decided by the central government.
“In future, who will give permission to local fishermen for fishing activities in Siridao, in the absence of state jurisdiction in Siridao village?”
“The State government should send a proposal to the Central government demanding denationalisation of rivers and delimitation of port areas,” Pinto said.
