VASCO: The Mormugao Port Trust (MPT) has clarified that it would not encroach on the jurisdictions of Captain of Ports (CoP) and Goa Government, after executing developmental works in waterways on behalf of Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI).
The clarification was issued by MPT Chairman I Jeyakumar after a crucial board of trustees meeting, on Friday.
Jeyakumar said that there was misunderstanding among the people over the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by MPT with IWAI to execute works in Mandovi and Zuari Rivers, that the MPT would encroach on the jurisdiction of CoP and the government. Therefore, “we want to make it clear to the people of Goa that MPT will only be the executing agency; all the projects on these two rivers would be proposed by the State government. The MPT will not infringe on the rights and responsibilities of CoP and Goa government in any manner,” he said.
Jeyakumar informed that the MPT has written to the government about the contents of the MoU signed with IWAI and once the State government is convinced of the same, the Port Trust would sign a MoU with the government wherein the government’s role vis-à-vis the developmental projects, would be specified.
“Presently, the State government is examining the matter; the MPT would start the work only after the government finalises the MoU and signs the same. Again, the MPT will take up only those works proposed by the government. It will be the State government that would what it wants in River Mandovi and Zuari. Our role will be only to execute the project on behalf of IWAI,” Jeyakumar explained.
Admitting that the ongoing protest against the waterways developmental works is due to communication gap, Jeyakumar said that the MPT is willing clarify to the people the scope of its work.
“In the waterways development project, IWAI first wants to provide night navigation facility to the vessels plying in the rivers. Secondly, IWAI wants to create infrastructure facilities by taking up repairs of passengers/cargo jetty all along the rivers, and thirdly the MPT would undertake location based dredging (to maintain uniform depth in river navigational channel),” the MPT chief said.
All these works, he said, would be done after following every stipulation and after obtaining CRZ clearance.
