Waterfront land belongs to MPT, says Agarwal

Waterfront land belongs to MPT, says Agarwal
HERALD NEWS DESK
PANJIM, OCT 27
In separate letters written to the Sarpanchas of 15 village panchayats on the day he demitted office (19 October), former chairman of the Mormugao Port Trust (MPT) Praveen Agarwal has reiterated the port’s ownership claim and powers of governance over foreshore and water areas in these panchayats.
In a separate letter to Chief Secretary S K Srivastava, Agarwal has claimed that MPT is a local authority under the General Clauses Act, not coming under the jurisdiction and administrative control of the State Government, and demanded that the High Power Committee of ministers set up to resolve the issue of MPT’s jurisdiction be informed of this.
The letter, written to the Village Panchayats of Quitol, Naquerim, Khola, Goa Velha, Siridao, Taligao, Calapur (St Cruz), Sao Jacinto Island, Chicalim, Issorcim, Sancoale, Pale, Velsao, Cansaulim and Arrossim, the MPT’s former chief has claimed both ownership and powers of governance over all land within 50 yards of the High Tide Line (HTL); foreshore areas (between High Tide Line and Low Tide Line); and perpetual water areas in these villages, by virtue of Government of India (GoI) notifications issued in 1963, 1979, and 2000, specifying the limits of MPT.
He claims that even the Goa government accepted MPT’s ownership and powers of governance over these areas in a letter written in 1970. Consequently, the letter says, unless they were registered in the name(s) of private parties prior to Goa’s liberation on 19 December 1961, any entries the Records of Rights pertaining to these lands is not valid or legal.
Foreshore areas, i.e. intertidal, or the areas between the HTL and LTL, on the banks of the river Zuari (both northern and southern),  as well as the coast line of the Arabian Sea, along the boundaries of the  entire Mormugao Taluka,  and part of Tiswadi, Salcette, Quepem and Cancona,  belong to MPT,  both in terms of ownership and powers of governance.
Foreshore areas and water areas clearly belong to MPT, the letter said. Therefore, any activities of construction, dredging, jetty, wharves, ship building, ship repairing, fishing jetties, etc, can be carried out only with the prior approval of MPT.
Making a crack at the Group of Ministers (GoM) comprising six Goa ministers with the Secretary (Ports) as Member Secretary, Agarwal says in the letter that though the GoM was set up almost three years back, “the end result very simply has been the confirmation of the notified limits, ownership and powers of governance of and over the lands, foreshore and water areas of MPT as per the GoI Notifications”.