Porvorim: CM Manohar Parrikar told the Goa legislative assembly on Wednesday that although the proposed fishing jetty at Vasco would be built through the Mormugao Port Trust (MPT), it would be handed over to the state government upon completion.
"The fisheries department will have operational control of the jetty," Parrikar said during Question Hour on the opening day of the assembly's winter session. He was addressing concerns raised after BJP Vasco MLA Carlos Almeida, tabled a question about the fishing jetty.
Parrikar said the project was proposed to be built with central funding.
A request for the project was made by him in his capacity as defence minister, he said.
The state government is expected to contribute around Rs 26 crore of the Rs 120 crore that the jetty is estimated to cost.
"There had been problems between the MPT and the fishing community over access to the jetty. Around 99.9 % of staff the working at fishing jetties is from states such as Jharkhand and Odisha. The fisheries department is yet to issue identity cards to all workers employed at fishing jetties," the chief minister said, explaining that it was suggested that the jetty be shifted in order to mitigate this problem. He also said the current site for a new fishing jetty was agreed upon after discussions with stakeholders.
Heeding Almeida's request for a prompt public hearing in the matter, Parrikar said the hearing would be conducted by the Goa State Pollution Control Board.
Earlier, fisheries minister Vinod Palyekar consented to have a joint meeting with the MPT to discuss points raised by the Vasco MLA. "All the issues will be resolved at that meeting," Palyekar said, even as he pointed out that Almeida had not contacted him on any issue during his nine-month tenure.
In his written reply, the fisheries minister said the MPT has initiated the process to obtain an Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) report, and that a draft EIA report has been submitted to the GSPCB with a request to initiate a public hearing for the proposed port infrastructure projects at Vasco bay.
"The fisheries department will have operational control of the jetty," Parrikar said during Question Hour on the opening day of the assembly's winter session. He was addressing concerns raised after BJP Vasco MLA Carlos Almeida, tabled a question about the fishing jetty.
Parrikar said the project was proposed to be built with central funding.
A request for the project was made by him in his capacity as defence minister, he said.
The state government is expected to contribute around Rs 26 crore of the Rs 120 crore that the jetty is estimated to cost.
"There had been problems between the MPT and the fishing community over access to the jetty. Around 99.9 % of staff the working at fishing jetties is from states such as Jharkhand and Odisha. The fisheries department is yet to issue identity cards to all workers employed at fishing jetties," the chief minister said, explaining that it was suggested that the jetty be shifted in order to mitigate this problem. He also said the current site for a new fishing jetty was agreed upon after discussions with stakeholders.
Heeding Almeida's request for a prompt public hearing in the matter, Parrikar said the hearing would be conducted by the Goa State Pollution Control Board.
Earlier, fisheries minister Vinod Palyekar consented to have a joint meeting with the MPT to discuss points raised by the Vasco MLA. "All the issues will be resolved at that meeting," Palyekar said, even as he pointed out that Almeida had not contacted him on any issue during his nine-month tenure.
In his written reply, the fisheries minister said the MPT has initiated the process to obtain an Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) report, and that a draft EIA report has been submitted to the GSPCB with a request to initiate a public hearing for the proposed port infrastructure projects at Vasco bay.
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