VASCO: The Coastal Zone Management Plan (CZMP) public hearing which started on Thursday was totally mismanaged, The COVID19 safety norms was largely neglected; neither there was any arrangement of public transport nor food, water for the attendees. The authorities conducting public hearing were tightlipped on any public query their mismanagement or suggestions during the proceedings.
Around 670 registered speakers from South Goa registered showed up in the hearing. The seething rage started brewing in the venue from the very beginning of the proceeding. The very first objection had been the limited time of just 15 minutes was stipulated to sum up their say on the CZMP. Many speakers threw pointed questions towards the panelists and experts present but the authorities reluctant to response any of their queries that irked the gathering.
People condemned authorities for no strict implementation of COVID-19 safety norms as crowd cramped in the venue made it impossible otherwise to maintain any social distancing. The whisper gained decibel when it was discovered that there was no arrangement of food or water for the attendees in the venue either.
People were very annoyed in the manner the public hearing was being conducted. They argued that the plan doesn’t reflect the ground reality and before making CZMP the government authority should have taken all villages into confidence.
The Benaulim NCP MLA Churchill Alemao in the venue demanded authorities consult with villages first and incorporate village plans in the CZMP plan.
Olencio Simoes from Cansaulim demanded to keep CZMP on hold until the NGT order is issued and also due to COVID-19 pandemic.
The unanimous urge for lunch break put the venue in disarray. Abheejit Prabhudessai of Goyant Kollso Naka objected to conduct CZMP public hearing with restricted timing and without any arrangement of food and other facilities, which he claimed to be against Human Rights. Members of Revolutionary Goans group along with other locals present echoed the same sentiment. Annoyed people confronted South Goa Collector Ruchika Katyal over lunch break issue claiming that there were aged, diabetic people and women who need to have their food which is there right. Immediately after that half an hour lunch break granted for the people.
A speaker who stood for almost half hour demanding for a lunch break was offered sweet to eat by the South Goa Collector Ruchika Katyal.
People shouted slogans ‘band karat band karat illegal hearing band karat’, demanding to stop CZMP public hearing immediately. Some even inquired whether the event was a public hearing or a public consultation. When Xavier Fernandes, panch of Lotoulim repeated this query during his turn, but was taken away by the police from the dais. It became worse after Salcette Mamlatdar Pratap Gaonkar came to the podium to ask Fernandes to leave.
When the hearing continued beyond 6 pm, people turned furious as organizers ignored their demand to stop hearing as the people had come from faraway places and there was no transport arrangement by the authorities. Many left venue without waiting to see the conclusion of the hearing. The officials conducting hearing although continued to call out names of the people who had registered their names for the hearing.
