Team Herald
VASCO: Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) Goa President Jose Philip D’Souza urged Minister for Fisheries Filipe Neri Rodrigues to take up the proposal of restoration and providing a tentative extension of the existing jetty at Khariwado, here, on Tuesday.
“Increase the fuel quota from 30,000 litres to 90,000 litres along with clearing the pending Value Added Tax (VAT) reimbursement,” D’Souza requested.
During a brief visit to Khariwado Jetty on Tuesday afternoon, Minister for Fisheries Filipe Neri met Goa Fishing Boat Owners Association(GFBOA), parish priest of Vasco church and president of GFBOA and listened to their grievances.
NCP leader D’Souza in his address stated that several boats are receiving damages on daily basis as they collide against each other at shorter old jetty. The existing jetty is insufficient to cater to the increasing number of boats. The dredging done by the MPT has further led to the erosion of soil below the jetty.
He said that Union Minister Nitin Gadkari few years back had laid foundation stone for bringing modern jetty which is yet to see the daylight.
D’Souza also mentioned that he had mentioned about certain clause in the order that need to be discussed properly and many small boat owners are into debts and facing acute financial difficulties due to bad season, less catch and low business.
He also requested Filipe Neri to take up the issues such as temporary extension of jetty at Khariwado, clearing of VAT and reimbursement of VAT, increase in fuel quota.
Filipe Neri Rodrigues assured fishermen present at the meeting that he will convey their grievances to Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant and will try and fix a joint meeting of fishing bodies later next week wherein MPT and other concerned agencies can discuss these issues and the temporary extension work of the jetty can be started if MPT grants permission for the work.
