The public hearing of March 7 this year had been a farce, marked by the sudden venue change in North Goa and conducted in silence in South Goa. Later, the government had also refused to heed to the pleas of the people to hold hearings village wise. Environment Minister Nilesh Cabral had alleged that the opposition was politically motivated. “Each class has their own purpose and I don’t want to know it and people believe them… We want to prepare a proper plan and submit it to the NCSCM. Our role is over but we want to finalise the plan as early as possible. Goa is the only State not to complete the process. People are suffering and we want to complete the process in the interest of the people and the State,” Cabral had stated following people’s demands for a fresh public hearing and for holding village wise hearings.
Not just the government, but the people to want the best plan for the State. That is what they have been demanding and that is the reason why Goa Foundation and Goenchea Ramponnkarancho Ekvott approached the National Green Tribunal with their petitions. If the arguments that these two bodies had advance the tribunal would not have passed the order directing fresh hearings, and advanced the deadline for completing the process until August 31. An important statement in the order is this: “While it is true that there is urgency in the matter of finalisation of CZMP, which process is pending for the last 7 years, at the same time the salutary mandate of public hearing has to be followed in letter and spirit.” It is a clear indication that the green tribunal found that the public hearing had not provided this to the people.
What the government has to ensure is that the notice for the public meeting has to be issued within one week and fix the date for the public hearing within a month from the date of notice. It will have to make arrangements for two venues with adequate capacity and this is important, the venues may not be changed. This is because the National Green Tribunal found that the last minute venue change in March this year for the hearing had caused prejudice. The government will also have to allow written objections to be supplement by public hearing, and representations of all sections of affected people are to be assured. Significantly, if it is found necessary the public hearing may be continued for more than one day. These directions make it appear that the government did everything wrong at the last hearing.
This is now the final opportunity that the people have to make their suggestions and get their objections recorded. The draft plan that had been placed in public domain in February had drawn objections from almost every village panchayat that was involved in drafting their village plans. This was a clear indication that the village plans submitted for incorporation in the State plan had been amended. While for technical reasons amendments are acceptable, the objections that had been raised to the draft plan went beyond technical alterations. The aim now is to have a plan that is best for the State, for which the government has to work in tandem with the people. In July 2019 the people rejected the first draft of the plan. In February-March this year the second draft of the plan had been similarly discarded. The final plan has to be in the interest of Goa and Goans.
