Proposed Parrikar memorial project at Miramar has no permission: Scribe

PANJIM: On the eve of the first death anniversary of former Defence Minister (late) Manohar Parrikar, a senior journalist has approached the High Court of Bombay at Goa alleging that Goa government’s proposed memorial project at Miramar beach has no permission. 

The Goa State Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (GSIDC) is implementing “Shri Manohar Parrikar Smriti Sthal” (memorial) at Miramar. 

The petitioner Devika Sequeira stated that the proposed memorial is sought to be built on an area admeasuring 1,255 sq mtrs on the sandy portion of the beach. The location falls in sandy terrain with natural sand dune. 

“Along the river front is no development zone from 100 mtrs distance of the high tide line (HTL) and whether the area falls under CRZ-II or CRZ-III does not make any difference.  Even if area is considered to be CRZ-III nothing can come up at all strictly in the No Development Zone.  Whether the memorial is within 100 mtrs zone from the high tide line (HTL), the same can only be decided by Coastal Zone Management Plan (CZMP) which has not been approved. Till the CZMP is approved no construction of the proposed memorial should take place,” she said in a PIL writ petition filed before the High Court.   

The petitioner further stated that the entire sandy beach has to be protected and this view is supported by the findings of the One Man Committee (OMC) on Miramar beach privatisation prepared and authored by Dr Nandkumar Kamat, who was appointed by the Government of Goa under the late Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar on the subject of Miramar Beach Management Project. 

“The sandy Miramar beach is a public beach and is covered by Public Trust Doctrine whereby the State government has to protect and preserve its natural resources for the present as well as future generation. Any mismanagement on the part of the State government to protect and preserve the Miramar beach will attract judicial review under the Public Trust Doctrine to question such mismanagement and seek remedial measures in public interest. The memorial is proposed to come up on the sandy Miramar beach. No permission for constructing and erecting the memorial can come up unless and until CZMP is finalised, unless and until high tide line is drawn up and finalised,” the petition adds.

“Under the Public Trust Doctrine all public beaches in Goa are held in trust by State government on behalf of the present and future generations and the proposed memorial violates the positions of law. The said project if allowed to come up without approvals and goes unchallenged under Public Trust Doctrine there will be irreparable and irreversible damage done to the public beach and rights of the present and future generations.” 

Interestingly, Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant and his cabinet colleagues will lay floral tributes on the first death anniversary of Parrikar at the proposed memorial site on March 17.