PANAJI
Hundreds partook in the peaceful rally riding or driving from nooks and corners of the State in solidarity with Goan rivers and culminated at the Azad Maidan in the capital city where copies of the 'jetty policy' was symbolically burnt.
Despite the rally having been denied permission by the South Goa Collector Jyoti Kumari, hundreds participated and were also joined in by Opposition Leader, Yuri Alemao, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLAs Venzy Viegas and Cruz Silva, and Revolutionary Goans Party (RGP) MLA, Viresh Borkar.
Alemao, Viegas and Borkar addressed the activists and denounced the State government for proposing projects against the wishes of the people and without any consultations.
Besides the 'jetty policy' participants were also protesting against a number of other State and Centre sponsored projects such as the nationalisation of rivers, Sagarmala projects and the wide jurisdiction granted to the Mormugao Port Authority.
The anti-jetty policy activists argue that these projects will put the State's rivers and estuarine ecosystems, including khazan lands, in jeopardy.
A fear is also being expressed that once facilities and infrastructure for jetties is put in place, these will eventually be used for transportation of coal. The opponents argue that the Sagarmala project report indicates cargo transportation via waterways.
In an attempt to discourage the rallyists, Kumari had on Saturday issued an order rejecting the request of Loutolim resident Xavier Fernandes of Rainbow Warriors to hold the peaceful rally on Sunday from 2 pm to 6 pm from Cavelossim to Panaji.
Kumari had cited the police report which had expressed fears that the rally would disrupt traffic movement and cause traffic jams. Citing inputs that a number of people are expected to join the rally which will cause traffic congestion, resulting in a law & order situation.
Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) president, Amit Patkar, also joined the rally riding a motorcycle from Shiroda to the capital city.
The 'jetty policy' proposed by the State government through the Tourism Department has drawn flak across the State with several panchayats passing gram sabha resolutions demanding that it be scrapped.
The government including Tourism Minister Rohan Khaunte, on the other hand, argue that the new jetty policy is meant to boost tourism and is not aimed at facilitating movement of coal as is being alleged by the opponents.
“The policy is only applicable to vessel operators and jetties being utilized for tourism purposes. It is not applicable to private jetties, coal handling, fishing or casino activities. It is applicable only for passenger cruise vessel operators utilizing the jetty for tourism purposes and not for water sports operators,” the Tourism Department had said in an official statement it released recently.
Opponents however are not buying the argument. Also, the policy is being opposed even by watersports operators on grounds that the policy if enforced will displace them and they will lose business to corporate players.
