VASCO: To provide a fair opportunity to those who could not express their views due to time constraint, the presiding officer Johnson Fernandes adjourned the public hearing for expansion of coal handling at Mormugao Port Trust (MPT). It will now be held on Saturday.

During the first day of public hearing called to express citizens' views on MPT’s coal berth expansion on Wednesday, large number of speakers came forward to express their views about the project and to reject the proposal and the hearing continued past 11.30 pm. As this was in clear violation of sound pollution norms, the Vasco Police Inspector Nolasco Raposo asked the presiding officer Johnson Fernandes to turn off the sound system.  Later, as several citizens were still awaiting an opportunity to express their views, Fernandes passed an order to continue public hearing on MPT’s coal berth expansion between at 10.30 am to 11.30 am on Thursday.

On Thursday, the moment the public hearing for the first project (coal expansion) commenced, Vasco-based Environmental activist Advocate Savio J F Correia raised point of order objecting to the continuation of hearing on coal expansion. He said as per notification issued By Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB), the hearing for deepening of approach channel was supposed to be held on Thursday and how presiding officer could hold two hearings at the same time. Correia said deepening of approach channel is another crucial hearing as the same is being monitored by Supreme Court. Finally, considering objection, the public hearing on dredging was deferred till afternoon and hearing on coal expansion was held during first half.

While expressing their views on MPT’s coal berth expansion, from the citizens' side, Advocate Aires Rodrigues slammed GSPCB officials for organising public hearing in a disorganized manner and pulled up the officials for giving misleading information to the citizens.