Addressing a press conference in Velsao on Monday, National Fishworkers’ Forum (NFF) secretary and GRE joint general secretary Olencio Simoes alleged that “the government is following the footsteps of the erstwhile government by trying to dilute the CRZ norms. This “devious” amendment is planned to protect and encourage the interests of the “hotel mafia”. The amendment is not in the interest of the traditional fishermen.
GRE president Agnelo Rodrigues claimed that during BJP’s tenure, over 800 cases of CRZ violations have been reported, of which nearly 80 percent (497 cases) are related to violations by hotel industry and builder lobby.
Nearly 57 per cent of CRZ violations in Goa have occurred in the Morjim belt itself.
A structure at Ashvem has come up at the famous Olive Ridley turtle nesting site, which is a protected site under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. “The amendment would allow loopholes, thereby sparking a spree of construction activities along the coast, endangering the marine and coastal ecosystems of the state,” he added.
If the government was serious on legalising the traditional fishermen’s homes then it should have immediately constituted district level committee, notified the fishing villages, surveyed and mapped the areas as per CRZ notification, 2011, which has been ignored despite a clause stating the same, he continued.
He slammed the Government for creating easy paths to “legalise” various “illegal” commercial activities.
Rodrigues said late Matanhy Saldanha had opposed attempts to foist a coastal management zone authority upon them through the CMZ draft in 2008 by erstwhile Congress government, the local fishermen opposed it vigorously by forcing the state and central governments to withdraw the decision.
“Late Matanhy worked overnight to protect the state’s environment and always opposed vigorously any dilution of CRZ.”
But sadly the present BJP government in the state who had assured to fulfil his (Matanhy’s) legacy, is going all out to do just the opposite because of their vested interests”, Rodrigues charged, adding that “In the case of law and order situation, the government alone will be responsible”.
