MAPUSA
Referring to the draft jetty policy as a back-door entry to the Sagarmala project, the villagers of Aldona on Sunday unanimously resolved to oppose the policy.
Aldona sarpanch Ashwin De Souza told the gram sabha that the draft jetty policy was framed without taking the panchayats into confidence.
He said if the government wanted to renovate the jetties, the proposal should have come from the river navigation department, but there was no such correspondence from the department.
“There is no clarity on the draft jetty policy. It appears that the government wants to give back-door entry to the Sagarmala project through this policy,” De Souza said.
There are two jetties in the jurisdiction of the Aldona constituency.
A resident of Adona, Nelson Fegueiredo reminded that around two years back, the Deputy Captain of Ports Premlal Sirsaikar had attended a gram sabha to explain the necessity of constructing a new jetty in Aldona.
“At that meeting, the villagers had clearly stated that we don’t want new jetties but the existing jetties may be repaired,” Fegueiredo said.
Nicholas Dias and Cosme Fernandes also joined the chorus opposing the draft jetty policy which they said will only pour more misery on the locals due to the ulterior motive of the government.
The gram sabha then unanimously rejected the draft jetty policy and decided to write to the department of tourism about its decision to oppose the draft policy.
Some concerned locals also raised the issue of material recovery facility (MRF) in the village.
Raising the construction of a material recovery facility (MRF) in the village, some concerned locals demanded clarifications on the project but the sarpanch stonewalled their queries stating that the matter was sub-judice.
Some locals wanted to know about the construction happening near the crematorium in Corjuem and another one below the Calvim bridge.
A local, Nicholas, informed that the MRF was just a segregation facility and nothing else.
Later, the sarpanch directed the secretary not to record any discussion on MRF in the gram sabha.
Various committees were set up and discussion on development works was also deliberated at the meeting.
