MARGAO: The villagers of Chandor on Thursday expressed frustration over delayed approach by concerned government officials with regard to the ground-truthing inspection of the Coastal Zone Management Plan, as they were made to wait from morning to evening.
“The legal team of the GCZMA authority, besides a team of the Water Resources Department made the villagers wait from morning to evening”, informed Edward D’Silva, sarpanch of Chandor Village Panchayat.
The villagers claimed that the said teams had informed about an inspection in regards to objections and suggestions pertaining to the CZMP. “The officials of the concerned department had told that they would reach between 10.30 am to 4 pm. However, they reached Chandor at around 4 pm, keeping the villagers waiting for several hours”, they stated.
As informed by the Sarpanch, they were supposed to do the site inspection with regard to mangroves but there was no arrangement for the same to travel. “They have shown the mangroves at the place where the farmers are doing their cultivation”, he stated.
Firstly villagers expressed frustration over the delay and thereafter condemned the act of concerned officials for not coming prepared to do the inspection. Hence, the villagers urged them to fix the inspection again for which officials agreed.
“The officials agreed for inspection on a later date but were reluctant to coordinate with the panchayat body with regard to the exercise”, claimed Edward.
