NT NETWORK
PANAJI
Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar on June 4 will discuss with the Union Minister for Shipping, Highway and Road Transport Nitin Gadkari an ambitious project about developing inland water transport in Goa, for decongesting the road traffic.
Coming out with this information, the Chief Minister told ‘The Navhind Times’ that Gadkari will be visiting Goa on June 4, and he will call on the central minister along with the Chief Secretary, Captain of Ports and other senior officials of his government, to discuss the particular project as well as its funding through the central government.
The state government is keen to launch the project before the end of its tenure in March, next year. Incidentally, earlier in the day, Gadkari in a video-link press conference had lamented about the lethargy displayed by the state government in taking up the inland water project on priority, further stating that the Parsekar government is making the Centre wait by not granting No Objection Certificate for the particular project.
Admitting that there was a delay from his government in pursuing the project, the Chief Minister said that his government did not rush through the project as every project taken up in the state is found to be opposed by the NGOs, social activists and so on. “We wanted to strengthen the legal side of the project before making any move,” Parsekar added, stating that he is very much keen to undertake the utilisation of state inland waterways, at the earliest.
Gadkari had also stated that besides the use of ferry services for mass transport and decongest traffic his ministry would also welcome the private players to invest in similar transportation or leisure services in the inland waters of the state. He had further suggested that the state government should allow hotels to construct floating jetties, subject to the condition that others should also be allowed to use these jetties.
Incidentally, Goa government is preparing a project on floating jetties in the state, which will compliment the revival of the inland waterways, on the lines of its usage during the Portuguese period. The probable locations preliminarily identified for the purpose of development of jetties and other related infrastructure are – Captain of Ports jetty, jetty near Penha-de-Franca Church, jetty at Old Goa, jetty near Old Goa Medical College Building at Ribandar, Dona Paula jetty, river navigation department jetty at Betim and other smaller jetties along River Mandovi up to Corjuem.