CANACONA
Reiterating their demands to scrap the Major Port Authorities (MPA) Act, environmentalists held an awareness meet in Palolem on Wednesday and said a representation would be submitted to the government to scrap the anti-people act.
“The Major Port Authorities Act is a draconian law, given to an authority, an autonomous body which neither the central nor state Governments will have a control and sole owners will the Board of Directors handpicked by Mormugao Port Authority officials,” said environmentalist and Goenchea Raponkarancho Ekvott (GRE) General Secretary Olencio Simoes.
“When people objected to GCZMA regarding port limit which, according to MPA Act, will be 12 nautical miles in sea, all the rivers and 500 metres inside the land, GCZMA told us they have already decided in their meeting to take back the port limits.”
“Now with MPA Act, Goa is being converted into two states, one is Goa and another will be Mormugao Port Authority, which will have no laws pertaining to Goa, but will have their own laws. The Talpona and Galgibaga rivers have been nationalised and our government has given them all the rivers on a platter for nationalisation,” said Simoes, who is also General Secretary of National Fish Workers Forum.
Simoes claimed that the MPA Act will not only be a hurdle on tourism but it would also threaten the eviction of fishermen, toddy tappers and other coastal residents.
“Take examples of Khariwada and Baina in Vasco, where eviction took place. Similar evictions will take place elsewhere in the State and no one will be able to do anything if eviction notices are issued as neither panchayats, municipalities, TCP, revenue code or any local authority can interfere or intervene.”
“Under the MPA Act, Coastal Economic Zones (CEZ) on similar lines of SEZs will come into effect. These CEZs will also not have any government control but what is being decided by MPA officials.
Others who spoke included Goencho Ekvott member Orville Dourado Rodrigues, Vikas Bhagat and Prahlay Bhagat.
Earlier, a similar awareness meeting was held at Talpona for fishermen and coastal residents in the area.
Activists and youth from across the State had reacted with shock and anger after the NCZMA had declined the State government’s plea for deletion of port limits from the CZMP.
Activists had denounced the decision as ‘draconian’ and a slap in the public’s face as it completely ignored the efforts of civil society, villagers and experts during the public consultations.
