PANAJI: Leader of Opposition Yuri Alemao has written to Chief Minister Pramod Sawant demanding that a minimum of 60 days be provided for the public, panchayats, and other stakeholders to submit objections and suggestions to the draft Coastal Zone Management Plan (CZMP) 2019, after its proper and official publication.
In his letter, Alemao said citizens are currently being given barely six to eight days to study and respond to the draft, which he described as wholly inadequate. “Citizens are being given an extremely short period of 6 to 8 days to study, understand, and raise objections to the draft CZMP. Such a limited timeframe is inadequate, unjust, and against the spirit of democratic consultation envisaged under the CRZ framework,” he stated.
According to Alemao, the CZMP is not a routine document but a highly technical plan with far-reaching consequences that directly determine land use, coastal regulation, environmental protection, and the livelihoods of thousands of Goans. “Any error or omission in this plan can permanently and irreversibly affect their lives and rights,” he said, referring in particular to traditional fishing communities, coastal farmers, toddy tappers, and residents of coastal villages.
Alemao also stressed the need for proper public engagement at the grassroots. "The draft CZMP must be explained at the village and Gram Sabha level, with officials present to clarify maps, boundaries, and implications, so that discussions are informed and meaningful," Alemao demanded, adding that all errors, omissions and incorrect demarcations pointed out by villagers, traditional communities, and local bodies must be formally recorded and corrected before the plan is finalised.
