VASCO: Mormugao Municipal Council on Tuesday decided to forward a resolution to the Goa Rehabilitation Board for rehabilitation of the occupants of 121 structures which the Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA) has issued final notices of demolition over violation of coastal regulation zone (CRZ) notification.
A special meeting of the council was held on Tuesday wherein issues pertaining to rehabilitation of occupants were discussed and a resolution was passed unanimously. Presently, these occupants have got a temporary relief through an interim order from court. The matter was raised at the meeting by ward 7 councillor Shraddha Amonkar. She pointed out that these people have been residing at Katem Baina for the last 40 years.
“As councillors, it is our duty to protect these people by way of rehabilitating them on humanitarian grounds,” stated Amonkar. She appealed to all councillors to take note of the plight of these people. The ward 25 councillor Kritesh Gaonkar was of the opinion that the affected people at Katem Baina could be rehabilitated in the property belonging to the Mormugao municipality while ward 14 councillor Lavina D’Souza demanded that the traditional fishermen at Katem Baina should be rehabilitated at Baina beach. The other councillors, who participated in the discussion favouring the people of Katem Baina, were Saifullah Khan, Pascoal D’Souza, Fredrick Henriques, Murari Bandekar, Krishna Salkar and Bhavana Bhosle.
Amonkar also raised the issue of the striking workers of Western India Shipyard Ltd (WISL). However, MMC chairperson Deepak Naik said that “as the workers worked in a private shipyard, the MMC is not authorised to discuss the issue.”
The council meeting saw a heated discussion between MMC chairperson Naik and councillor Salkar over the issue pertaining to leasing out of municipal premises existing in the old fish market with a proposal received from Gurudas Tirodkar. Salkar requested the MMC chairperson not to entertain the proposal as it may not be well for the image of the council. There was a demand placed by the ward 15 councillor Nandadeep Raut to record proceedings of the council meeting live. The council also discussed the issue of the departmental promotion committee wherein it was decided to promote Sandhya Kambli to upper division clerk, while Sadashiv Harmalkar has been given adhoc promotion for another six months.
Meanwhile, a large number of people whom final notices of demolition have been issued by the GCZMA had gathered in the council hall on Tuesday.