Team Herald
PANJIM: Former MP and President of Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) has demanded that the State Government not proceed to draft the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with respect to the nationalisation of six rivers of Goa without first undertaking a social impact study, an environmental impact study or without examining issues related to fishermen problems.
“What will happen if social impact study turns out to be adverse? Will the Union Government delete the names of the six rivers annexed to the Schedule of Nationalisation of Waterways Act and apologise to the people of Goa? In fact, Union Cabinet should not have approved the Nationalisation of Rivers Bill without asking the State Government to make a social impact study and assessment of environmental aspect including question of livelihood of fishermen aspect.” Naik said.
He further said that the State cabinet has cheated the people of Goa by giving consent to the proposal of the Union Government to nationalisation of the six rivers, when they did not have necessary reports before them, required in order to arrive at a sensible decision on an issue of such an immense significance.
“The people of Goa should know as to how much land on both sides of the six rivers will come under the jurisdiction of Central Government or Inland Waterways Authority, as per the rules to be framed under the Act after the MoU, if any, is signed disregarding the feelings of Goans,” he said.
