TEAM HERALD
CALANGUTE: The fishing jetty presently under construction at Baga is likely to include a shed for the members of the fishing community to conduct their meetings and get-togethers.
It may be recalled that WRD Minister Dayanand Mandrekar had laid the foundation stone for the jetty on June 16, 2013, in the presence of MLA Lobo and panch Sequeira. The project is expected to be complete by June 16, 2014.
“After I got elected as Calangute MLA, the fisher folk put forth their hardships faced by them, including the docking of vessels and repairing of nets, during monsoon. They also wanted a shed to conduct their meetings and get-togethers,” said Calangute MLA Michael Lobo.
“Accordingly, the foundation stone was laid for the project with the support of WRD Minister Dayanand Mandrekar and we hope to complete the project as soon as possible. The project will fulfil the three-decade-old demand of the fishing community from Calangute and Baga,” said Lobo.
“The elected representatives in the past had failed to look into the genuine demands of the fishermen. The fishermen have also put an additional demand for a shed to conduct their meetings and this will be accommodated in an area of 5,500 sq mtrs earmarked for the project. The estimated cost of the entire project is Rs 1 crore,” Lobo added.
Baga St Khuris Fishermen Association President Ronnie Fernandes confirmed that they had placed their demand for a shed to hold meetings in the allotted land for the jetty. “We hope our MLA will fulfil this demand,” said Fernandes.
Calangute Panch Joseph Sequeira, however, claimed that the jetty had been proposed by Calangute Panchayat way back in 2005.
“Our proposal had been turned down by the government, as the CRZ regulatory body had refused permission due to the mangroves. It is surprising that the jetty is now taking shape in the same area, but we are happy that the fishermen’s demand will be fulfilled,” Sequeira said.
