MARGAO
Benaulikars are waiting with bated breath for the Fisheries Department to unveil the exact plan vis-Ã -vis the Benaulim prawn hatchery as locals have raised eyebrows on the government’s decision to rope in private players to revive the defunct hatchery on the sprawling 10-acre prime land.
It’s now over a fortnight since the Fisheries Department had received many proposals to its Expression of Interest (EoI) floated by Fisheries Director Dr Shamila Monteiro inviting private players to revive the hatchery under Public Private Partnership (PPP) model.
Fishermen and local residents of Benaulim, however, are in the dark over the exact plans of the Fisheries Department vis-Ã -vis the hatchery. With no reply forthcoming from the Fisheries Department to the host of questions raised by the local fishermen, questions are indeed doing the rounds in Benaulim as well a local fishermen circles over the exact proposal that is in mind of the government vis-Ã -vis the hatchery.
Fisheries Director Dr Shamila Monteiro was on record saying that the department has received around 10-12 proposals for the setting up of a state-of-the-art shrimp and finfish hatchery on the defunct Benaulim hatchery land.
When The Goan called up Fisheries Director Dr Shamila Monteiro to ascertain whether the proposals received from the private players have met the expectations of the Fisheries Department, she only said the plan will be unveiled when the department floats the Request for Proposal (RFP) next month.
“All I can say at the moment is that the hatchery land will not be allowed to be exploited for commercial or tourism purposes. The land was acquired for the shrimp hatchery and it will be utilized for the same purpose. We have only added the finfish hatchery item in the new proposal,” she said.
Local fishermen under the banner of Niz Ramponkarancho Ekvott, Benaulim, however, are skeptical of the Fisheries Department’s motive behind floating the Expression of Interest.
A traditional fisherman Pele Fernandes questioned the silence of the Fisheries Department to the demands as well as the questions raised by the fishermen and the general public over the decision to revive the hatchery under the PPP model.
“We are the traditional fishermen and the government is yet to take the fishing community into confidence to date,” Pele said.
The Fisheries Director had floated the Expression of Interest with the intent to set up a shrimp and finfish hatchery on the 10 acre land on PPP model.
The EoI states that the private partner will design, build, finance and operate the proposed project on a long-term concession basis and transfer the facility to the government at the end of the concession period.
“The land would be provided on the right of way basis and the existing infrastructure will be transferred to the concessionaire on ‘as is where is” basis’,” the notice stated.
