MAPUSA
Aldona MLA and Congress leader Carlos Ferreira has lashed out at the State government following the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) granting permission for a private jetty in Malim.
Calling the development "unsurprising," Ferreira accused the BJP-led Goa government of having "sold Goa to the Centre."
Ferreira criticized the government's decision to nationalize nine rivers in the State, stating that it was a grave mistake that continues to have far-reaching consequences.
"The BJP government has handed over Goa to the central government. When Congress was in power at the Centre, the late Manohar Parrikar had called for central agencies to be thrown out. But when the central government changed, then Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar cited ‘federalism’ and signed off on the nationalisation of rivers with a stroke of the pen," said Ferreira.
He emphasized that the move has stripped the State of its authority over its own land and waterways.
"By signing this agreement, the Centre has acquired rights over land that belongs to Goa. The Inland Waterways Authority now has exclusive jurisdiction, which overrides local bodies like the PDA and village panchayats. Their permissions or NOCs are no longer required," he explained.
Ferreira warned that the consequences of this decision are becoming more visible, recalling his warnings from 2021.
“The State government will only watch as the damage unfolds. This is what I had warned about,” he said.
Highlighting the expanding influence of the Mormugao Port Authority (MPA), Ferreira stated that MPA now controls not just the coastline but also adjoining land.
“This means if someone wants to put up a beach shack, they will have to get permission from MPA,” he pointed out.
The Congress leader called on the State government to stand up for Goa's rights and reverse decisions that he believes compromise the State's autonomy and the powers of its local governing bodies.
