Govt opposed to expansion of port: CM
HERALD REPORTER
PANJIM, JULY 19
Chief Minister Digambar Kamat reiterated that Goa government is opposed to expansion of Mormugao Port and that Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh has been of the government’s position when the all party delegation on Madei had called on the PMO.
He was responding to a question posed by Mormugao MLA Milind Naik during Question Hour on Monday.
Naik’s wanted to know what has been done to rein in MPT which “is hell-bent on going ahead with expansion of the port.”
Earlier, Minister for Ports Nilkanth Halarnkar in his written reply informed the House that the chief minister had written to the prime minister, Minister for Environment and Forest Jairam Ramesh and Minister for Shipping G K Vassan intimating them about the existing problem.
Not content with the minister’s reply, Mormugao MLA as well as Leader of the Opposition Manohar Parrikar pointed out that MPT has already embarked on its expansion plan while the seven member committee appointed by the government in 2008 met just trice during last three years to discuss the issue.
“If this is the case I don’t know when the issue will be resolved,” said Naik.
Parrikar said, MPT doesn’t care a dame about objections raised by any of the State government departments.
Kamat said a power point presentation was made to the PMO, and the Environment Impact Assessment study clearly shows what would be the impact on ecology if MPT is allowed to go head with its expansion plan.
Speaker Pratapsing Rane suggested that the State Government should have urgent meeting with Union Minister Vasan.
The State government is opposing the expansion of Mormugao port on the grounds that the expansion would affect the demography and the ecology. Locals are also opposed to the expansion of Mormugao port as they will have to relocate to make space for expansion plan. The expansion plan of MPT is not feasible due to limitation on land, says the government.
