Team Herald
VASCO: Civil Society members feel that their worst nightmare of Major Ports Authority Bill to become an Act is on the threshold of coming to reality. Various activists, environmentalist feel betrayed and disappointed after so many struggles to protect the interest of the Goans and its environment have gone wasted. People foresee that the Ports Bill becoming an act will raise big question mark over the powers, authorities and jurisdiction related issues between the State and the MPT port.
Savio Correia, anti-coal activist and a lawyer based in Vasco reacted stating that the Major Port Authorities Bill gives unimaginably unfettered powers to the major port to undertake development within its port limits and port assets in supersession of State laws and master plans and without prior approval of State and local bodies.
“Anything can now be done in the name of “National Interest”. The law is the critical missing link of Sagarmala program. MPT will now be a State within a State. I have been alerting the State Government and its functionaries at the highest levels since 2016, but alas, my pleas were ignored. Our Government is well aware of the implications for Goa, but has looked the other way for reasons best known to it. By the time the adverse effects start kicking in and we Goans awake, it will be too late” Correia added.
Vikram Sarmalkar of Goa Against Coal group member mentioned that after the major Ports Bill is passed the municipality will be left without any power and jurisdiction over the areas under municipality. He assumes the ports will be stronger and even overpower the State government and people who are protesting against coal pollution and other problems faced from the port will be washed away.
Orville Dourado Rodrigues, founder of Goencho Ekvott and chairman of VACAD reacted sharply to the recent development with regards to the major Ports Bill. He said it is rather very disturbing to learn that the Major Ports Authorities Bill, 2020 which aims to regulate, operate and plan the 11 major ports in India has received the consent of the Rajya Sabha. He assumes ‘this will have far reaching consequences on a tiny State like Goa, whereby local self governing bodies & municipalities all along the coast line from Betul in the South to Donapaula in the North including the picturesque villages in the Zuari bay will have to seek prior consent of Mormugao Port Trust (MPT) for any development works, since MPT has its jurisdiction over the area, which is approximately equal to 1/3 of Goa’s land mass.’
He further pointed out that Captain Viriato Fernandes of Goencho Ekvott has done over 70 awareness campaign across Goa had awakened our public and our political class including our Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant. “CM appeared oblivious to the fact that a State within a State will be created if the Bill becomes an Act upon the consent of our President.”
“Such scenarios bode ill for our State which is itself neck deep in debt due to planned ‘development’ of our highways, water ways and Double Tracking just to convert Goa into a Coal Corridor. It is unfortunate that Generations to come will have to pay for the sins of a few to largely benefit crony capitalists. Any measures at that point of time will be too little, too late” Rodrigues said.
Curtorim Congress MLA Alexio Reginaldo Lourenco came heavily on the State govt and the four legislators from Mormugao taluka for their failure to protect the interest of Goans with regards to the Major Ports Authority Bill which received a nod in Rajya Sabha few days back.
Reginaldo in his views said that once the bill becomes an act after president’s accent, the Port authorities will have swiping powers which will give enough teeth to bite Goans. The act will make Ports will have absolute powers over local governing bodies and authorities. “Our Goans will have no powers even to challenge in the court with regards to the matters related to the Major Ports Authority Bill once it becomes act. He pointed out that during the time when there was a period of objection and suggestion about this bill, he had written it to the Chief Minister Dr. Pramod Sawant about its repercussions. I had also written it to the Prime Minister but by plea was neglected. The future generation will definitely going to ask questions to these people as to what were our legislators doing when this bill became an act,” Reginaldo added.
Julio Aguiar, Save Mollem, Green activist in his views expressed that the Major Ports Authority Bill with special reference to Mormugao port will be detrimental to our State of Goa in terms of jurisdiction, which was earlier with local and State authorities. “So also our traditional activities of fishing will be badly affected,” said Julio.
