Team Herald
VASCO: Goenchea Raponkarancho Ekvott (GRE) has decided to extend conditional support to the Congress.
GRE has a membership of 80,000 small and traditional fishermen.
The clean character and zero tolerance to inequality of the Congress are the reasons for supporting the party, GRE said.
The GRE has said that Congress would enjoy its support provided it considers and implements several of its demands like representation to fishermen community in assembly elections, scrapping of CRZ Regulation and others.
“Political parties and successive elected governments have been making lofty pre-poll promises, but turn a blind eye once elected. The current Government of Goa has introduced several anti-fishermen and anti-environmental projects that have been threatening the future of our livelihood and the marine ecology of Goa,” GRE alleged.
In their Charter of Demands, GRE has demanded stopping of dilution of coastal regulation zone and scrape CRZ notification 2019, de-notification of MPT jurisdiction over inland and coastal waters, zero coal at MPT and no to Sagarmala project in Goa, withdrawal of autonomy given to MPT under Major Port Authorities Bill, 2016, scrapping of proposed marinas at Sancoale and Nauxim-Bambolim, compensation to 30 houses which have been ‘illegally’ demolished by the government authorities and legalise the houses of 53 fishermen at Baina and 360 houses at Kariawado.
The Charter further demands a separate Ministry for Fisheries and Fishermen Welfare and further also demands law recognising and protecting the rights of the small and traditional fishing communities.
