VASCO: The South Goa District Congress Committee, the Village Panchayat of Cortalim, local MLA Antonio Vas and fishermen have strongly opposed the proposed privatisation of the Cortalim Jetty. They demanded that the jetty be exclusively kept for use of traditional fishermen.
Vas along with sarpanch Senia Pereira and other traditional fishermen told mediapersons that they came to know about the move to hand over the fishing jetty to a private party, through a Legislative Assembly Question (LAQ) tabled in the ongoing Assembly session on Thursday.
The LAQ reply by Fisheries Minister Nilkant Halarnkar stated that his department had received proposal to privatise the Cortalim jetty to Deep Sea Fishing Marketing and Cooperative Society Limited.
Reacting to this, the South Goa District Congress Committee President Savio D’Silva said, “We don’t know who this Deep Sea Fishing is. Is a tender going to be floated? The government has bypassed the local panchayat and the stakeholders. The Fisheries Department had appointed Water and Power Consultancy Services as the project executing agency. They are using tax payers money to upgrade the jetty and give it to private party.”
The South Goa Congress questioned the use of public funds for private benefit. He questioned why traditional fishermen or boat owners' societies from Goa were not consulted. He also raised concerns about a recent tour where Fisheries Department officials and some boat owners studied cage fishing and aquaculture.
GRE general secretary Olencio Simoes asked, “Why is the jetty being privatized? Is it for casinos or coal? There is not clarity. There are 10 fishing associations and five jetties. The Vasco fishermen are asking for five years to upgrade their jetty. Similarly, fishermen from Cutbona and Malim have asked to repair their dilapidated jetties.”
Vas said, “The Cortalim Village Panchayat and the people are opposing the privatisation of this jetty. We are not going to give it to a private party. We had met the Captain of Ports and from that time the issue was on hold. We have already object and we have written three letters. Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has assured me that the government will not allow a private jetty here.”
The sarpanch said, “On December 14, 2022, in a letter to Fisheries Department with a copy to the Captain of Ports, we had objected to leasing out the unused portion of the ferry ramp. We visited the Captain of Ports in a delegation with the MLA and emphasised that we don’t want any activity here, except for fishing.”
Pereira further informed that the Cortalim gram sabha had passed a resolution strongly objected to leasing of the jetty and added that she will convene another grams sabha in this regard.