Team Herald
PANJIM: Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant on Monday assured the marina project opponents that the public hearing on the proposed facility at Nauxim, scheduled on November 2, will be postponed till after the Coastal Zone Management Plan (CZMP) for the State is finalised.
The Chief Minister had called meeting of concerned MLAs and villagers of Odxel-Nauxim at his official residence to discuss the project. The villagers have been demanding, not just the postponement of the public hearing, but that the project be scrapped.
The delegation comprised BJP MLAs Tony Fernandes (St Cruz), Francis Silveira (St Andre), Alina Saldanha (Cortalim) and Congress Curtorim MLA Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco.
Speaking to media persons after the meeting, Silveira said the Chief Minister assured to postpone the hearing pending finalisation of the CZMP. “We have raised our objections before the Chief Minister to the project as a whole. If the public hearing is held after the CZMP is finalised, we will have stronger grounds to oppose it,” he said.
Silveira said that once the CZMP is ready, it will protect Nauxim and the surrounding villages from projects like the marina. He said that in the CZMP of St Andre, Nauxim village has been shown as a fishing village.
The local MLA said the marina will destroy the entire belt, right from Sancole Bay, Agassaim Goa Velha, Siridao, Nauxim and Odxel.
Fernandes said that if the public hearing is held in the future, they will oppose the project with added strength. “With CZMP in place, we will have more ground to oppose the project,” he said.
Saldanha and Lourenco said the Chief Minister has taken the right decision in the interests of the people. “It is good to see Chief Minister respecting the sentiments of the people. A very positive decision,” they said.
Earlier in the day, Odxel-Nauxim villagers submitted a memorandum to the North Goa Additional Collector demanding that the public hearing be cancelled or postponed. They had threatened to hold an agitation if the government did not abide by their demand.
Meanwhile, a resident from Mangor Hill, Sherwyn Correia, has written to the Chief Minister demanding withdrawal of the illegal and undemocratic order scheduling public hearing on the marina project.
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Grounded ship more important than marina: Ports Minister
Linking the running aground of the ship Nu-shi Nalini with the Nauxim marina project, Ports Minster Michael Lobo on Monday said that the public hearing on the latter, scheduled on Saturday will be postponed.
Speaking to Herald, Lobo said, “We are seized of the people’s demand. The Chief Minister is also sensitive towards the people’s demands. I have spoken to him and told him that the grounded ship is of more importance than the marina. The Collector and other machinary has to focus on the dangerous naphtha-laden ship, rather than marinas. We can debate on that issue later on.”
He added, “Right now we will postpone the hearing until the grounded ship is removed.”
