VASCO: Mormugao Port Trust (MPT) chairman I Jeyakumar said that a revised memorandum of understanding (MoU) will be signed between MPT, fishermen at Khariwada and government of Goa for the construction of modern fishing jetty cum fishing harbour at Khariwada in Vasco on the lines of Malpem fishing harbour.
Addressing a press conference at MPT’s guest house at Headland-Sada on Friday along with the board of trustees of MPT, Jeyakumar said that the fishing jetty for the Khariwada fishermen is a long pending demand.
“A tripartite MoU was signed between MPT, Khariwada fishermen and government of Goa in the year 1998, but the project did not materialise,” he said.
“The modern fishing jetty cum fishing harbour will have all the facilities like storage for fish, landing and berthing facilities besides others,” he said and added that there will also be a passenger free berth facility.
He said that the MPT has already appointed a consultant, and the plan for the jetty has been submitted to the state government.
“The MPT is keen to rehabilitee 194 dwellers which were identified in the year 1994 and were listed in the tripartite agreement,” he said and added that other people who have constructed their structures along the Khariwada shore after 1994 will be dealt separately by the state government.
He said that the MPT would help the state government in its decision over rehabilitating the additional dwellers at the Khariwada coast.
The MPT chairman has said that the MPT has signed MoU with Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) to execute the work of maintaining navigable depth in river Mandovi and Zuari.
He claimed that the MPT will be just an executing agency that would take up the work and any rights of the state government with regards to the said project work would not be infringed upon.
He informed that based on the MoU with IWAI, the MPT has forwarded a letter to the state government for MoU between the MPT and state government to classify the role of the MPT and state government, so that in future there will be no issues with regards to rights of the state government on inland waters of Goa.
“The MPT would start executing the work on behalf of IWAI only after signing MoU,” said Jeyakumar.
“I would like to clarify that there should be no misunderstanding and apprehensions among the people over inland waterways,” he said and added that henceforth the MPT would go to the people in order to take their views over the proposed projects in the state.
He said that the inland waterways will be safe and would help in night navigation, and provide boost to the infrastructure creation.