NT NETWORK

MARGAO: The vexed issue – at least for the fisheries minister and the fisheries department - of the extension of the Cutbona jetty was sought to be buried by the authorities by appointing a consultant to study the impact of the extension that was said to include a fish meal plant along with workshops, net mending shed, parking and ice plants.

But after opposition by locals on September 1, the government decided to keep the project ‘on hold’ and appoint a consultant to check the feasibility of the jetty. A move which has not gone down well with the locals as they feel that this is just another tactic of the government to let the heat over the issue cool down before bringing the project through the back door. The affected villagers have demanded the project including land acquisition proceedings be scrapped once and for all.

This issue was triggered off after the director for Fisheries in the state, Mr S C Verencar, wrote to the local panchayat - Velim stating that the purpose for the land acquisition was to create additional facilities such as an ice plant, cold storage, net mending shed, auction shed, parking facility, workshop and other related activities at the fishing jetty while the deputy collector and Land Acquisition Officer, Mr Agnelo Fernandes had stated the land was to be acquired for a fish meal plant.

This led to the villagers and NGOs questioning such discrepancy with the convenor of Velim Civic and Consumer Forum, Ms Romana Almeida arguing that the letters received by the Velim panchayat from the deputy Collector, Land Acquisition and the director of Fisheries "shows the discrepancy in the purpose for which the land was to be acquired".

What added to the people’s ire was the cancellation of a joint meeting with the director of Fisheries, Land Acquisition Officer and the Panchayat at the last minute on June 25.

The Velim villagers then served a 15-day deadline to the panchayat to convene a meeting with the collector and the director of Fisheries to explain the purpose of the acquisition of land at the Cutbona fishing jetty failing which they threatened an agitation. This forced the Velim sarpanch, Ms Reny Caeiro and panchas to publicly support the villagers with the sarpanch even going on record stating that both the deputy collector, land acquisition officer and the director of Fisheries had failed to address the apprehensions put forth by the people of Velim.

The Cutbona Boat Owners Union initially vacillated and then fell in line with the government stating that they wanted infrastructure enhanced saying that 50 per cent of their boats had still not started operations as the crew were reluctant to come to Goa as the jetty did not have proper facilities compared with other states.

But probably sensing the mood of the locals they said that they would not press for a fish meal plant at Cutbona if the villagers of Velim and Ambelim opposed the project, and agreed for an alternate site.

The villagers were upset that the government had begun the process of land acquisition before any impact assessment report was conducted and had not taken into consideration the infrastructure requirements of the expanded harbour.

They complained that even at present the village did not have proper sewage facilities and regular and steady supply of water and electricity and if the extension was okayed then the burden on the already overburdened infrastructure would lead to its collapse.

The high-level meeting held at the residence of minister for Water Resources and local MLA, Mr Filipe Neri Rodrigues, decided to appoint a consultant to carry out a study on the existing fishing jetty at Cutbona and its requirements. Present for the meeting were minister for Fisheries, Mr Joaquim Alemao, Mr Agnelo Fernandes and Ms Caeiro.

The decision taken was that the land acquisition process should be kept on hold till a report is submitted on all aspects of the fishing jetty.

The fisheries department is yet to invite an Expression of Interest to appoint the consultant to conduct a study.