Panchayats in Salcete resolve to oppose Jetty Policy

Team Herald

MARGAO: Panchayats across the Salcete taluka have voiced their strong opposition to the proposed Jetty Policy 2022 by the Tourism Department even as the deadline for submitting objections and suggestions to the draft have been extended to October 31.

From awareness meetings that have been held across villages of Salcete taluka to gram sabha meetings rejecting the draft Jetty Policy 2022, a common view is that the State government is allegedly trying to hide the real intention behind the policy, which locals believe goes beyond just tourism.

“The draft jetty policy is completely against the people of Goa and must be rejected. The policy fails to mention the Sagarmala programme of transporting 137 MTPA of coal through Goa, the National Waterways Act, 2016 and the Major Port Authorities Act, 2021. This policy is a back door entry to usurp our waters and lands for coal corporations to make short term profits, while destroying our environment and future,” read one such petition of the locals to the Tourism Department.

These sentiments were echoed at gram sabha meetings too.

For instance, the Loutolim gram sabha passed a resolution wherein it stated that until coal transportation plans in the Sagarmala programme are cancelled and the state rivers are removed from the schedule to the National Waterways Act, 2016 and also the port limits are removed from the ambit of the Major Ports Authority Act, 2021, no proposals or policies for new jetties can be considered or allowed.

Villagers at these gram sabha or awareness meetings have also expressed concerns about how communities who earn their livelihood via traditional occupations such as fishing will get displaced with the entry of rich private players or how locals who have taken up self-employment in the tourism sector like water sports operators will be side-lined as well in favour of the corporates.

Questions have also been raised as to why the jetty management committee (JMC) proposed by the government only has stakeholders with commercial tourism interests and why it doesn’t have members like fishermen who will be affected by the jetty upgradation and expansion plans.

Gram sabha meetings also stated that allowing the JMC to decide on new jetties in the State violates the rights of the indigenous communities of Goa.