PANAJI
From leakages at the pandal to lack of drinking water facilities and from faulty display screen to issues with audibility of the presentations, arrangements came in for severe criticism at the public hearing for the draft Coastal Zone Management Plan (CZMP) at the Campal Parade ground on Thursday.
During the public hearing, the speakers, which included activists and environmentalists from across the State, became agitated as the live videos of the proceedings were not telecast.
Many were also unhappy with the lack of drinking water facilities and complained that authorities had prevented them from taking their water bottles to the venue.
There were also objections to the manner in which hearings were conducted by the GCZMA officials, with officials seated at the sides of the stage and no one present in front of people.
Raising his objection, MLA Rohan Khaunte said it appeared that people have to face and address the walls as no one was present in front of the people.
North Goa Collector Ajit Roy then intervened and went on the stage, assuring that he and GCZMA officials were taking note of the proceedings and every point was being recorded in the minutes of the meeting.
He said these points would be immediately displayed on the website once the meeting is over and people would be given time to rectify their speeches, if they were to find any anomaly.
Some youth members of Revolutionary Goans halted a meeting for half an hour, demanding a proper display of proceedings of the meeting on the screens.
However, the administration did not pay any attention to their demand and resumed the public hearing after some time.
Dinesh Dias from Salvador Do Mundo raised the issue of non-availability of the CZMP plan of his Salvador-do-Mundo village at the venue.
He also claimed there was no Konkani-English translator at the venue. "There is no podium facility. If some person comes with documents, how is be expected to hold documents and speak,” asked Dias.
Roshan Mathais pointed out in his presentation that there is no definition of hills and slopes in the CZMP plans, while there are no contour plans available with GCZMA.
He claimed that due to this loophole, the GCZMA is giving arbitrary permissions to constructions in non-development zones.
Pravinsingh Shetgaonkar highlighted many anomalies in the old and new plans with regard to areas in his Morjim village.
