MARGAO
Even as the village panchayats are bracing up to discuss the CZMPs at special meetings or gram sabhas, Environment Minister Nilesh Cabral’s message to the village Sarpanchas appears simple “ compare the plans prepared by the Panchayats and the draft prepared by the NCSCM and submit their objections and suggestions at the earliest.
Cabral sent official communique to Colva Sarpanch Anthony Fernandes after the Panchayat has sought from the Minister deployment of expert to explain the draft of the CZMP prepared by NCSCM.
In the letter, the Environment Minister expressed his happiness that the Colva Panchayat after due consultation had prepared and submitted the draft CZMP.
“The said draft CZMP prepared by your Panchayat was forwarded to NCSCM which in turn was incorporated by them and sent back”, Cabral stated in his letter, while requesting the Colva Sarpanch to compare the draft CZMP as prepared by the village Panchayat with the draft CZMP forwarded by NCZCM and submit the objections and suggestions at the earliest.
The Minister’s reply comes following the letter written by the Colva Panchayat Cabral as well as the Coastal Zone Management Authority to assist the panchayat by deputing officials to explain the public on the salient features of the plan.
“This Panchayat have received Draft Plans of Coastal Zone Management Plan from Block Development Officer, Margao and the same has been kept for public Consultation/Viewing. On the visit of public to this office, the first query raised by them is that they have difficulty in identifying the Survey Nos and structures that have not been shown on the plan”, the Sarpanch had said in his letter.
Colva Panchayat is not the only Panchayat that is finding it difficult to explain to the villagers on the CZMP plan submitted by the government. Complaints are galore that the draft CZMP has not at all taken into account the suggestions made by the Panchayats after discussing the plan threadbare at the gram sabhas.
Salcete coastal panchayats and the panchayats along the course of the river Sal are also sore that the river passing through their villages have been marked as “port limits”, throwing up questions whether the MPT’s jurisdiction extends up to the river Sal in Salcete.
