Discussions on the Tourism development plan for Colva, however, did not take place after officials of the Tourism Department, Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority and the Town and Country Planning department failed to turn up for the meeting.
At the meeting chaired by Sarpanch Tereza Fernandes called to discuss the draft CZMP and the Tourism Development plan on Sunday, members of the fishing communities raised an uproar, demanding to know why there is no mention of their houses, huts and water bodies on the draft plan.
What has agitated the local fishing communities is the fact that they have taken pains to get their houses and huts, besides sand dunes, water bodies and water ways on the draft 2011 plan in the year 2019. They demanded to know why their suggestions were not incorporated in the CZMP 2011 as they vowed to make the same suggestions in the draft-CZMP plan 2019.
A visibly agitated president of the Traditional Fishermen Association Thomas Rodrigues demanded to know the fate of the plan prepared by the villagers in 2018 with the participation of stakeholders such as fishermen, guest house owners, water sports operators and others.
“In 2018, we had formed a committee, wherein members had gone door to door to show the houses, huts, sand dunes, water bodies, water ways in the plan. Sadly, none of the suggestions have been incorporated in the plan”, he said.
In fact, Thomas claimed that the plan had shown a sand dune as settlement, even as he opposed the draft 2019 plan.
Panch member and fisherman Domingo Rodrigues said that Colva villagers will not accept the draft CZMP plan without showing the houses and huts of fishermen, besides sand dunes and water bodies.
Benaulim MLA Venzy Viegas, who was invited for the meeting by the sarpanch, said the BJP government has created confusion in the minds of the people on the CZMP plan. He said Colva villagers have sent a strong message that they will not accept the draft plan, which does not show the houses and huts of the fishing communities, besides sand dunes and water bodies.
