Rupesh Samant
Panjim (Goa): Amidst opposition from the social activists and the congress party, Goa chief minister Manohar Parrikar today said that the signing of MOU with the centre over Goa’s six Rivers which are declared that of national importance will get back the rights on the inland waterways to Goa from the centre.
Parrikar said that the the rights over the Rivers are already vested with the Inland waterways authority of india through an act by Parliament in the year 2016.
“If you don’t sign a MoU with the IWAI, the powers over the Rivers will remain with the centre as they are already declares as national waterways. We will have to approach the centre for even the smallest permissions in the Rivers,” the chief minister said adding that it is wrong notion that the rivers are nationalised.
Parrikar was addressing the members of legislative assembly, elected representative and non government organisations over the issue of declaring six rivers from Goa as that of national importance.
The handful of protestors held demonstrations outside the venue in Panaji where Parrikar had called for the interaction.
Congress leader Ravi Naik demanded that the state should not go ahead with the signing of MoU.
He suggested that the state should get the funds for developing the rivers rather than signing MoU to get the funds from the centre.
The chief minister said that the centre will fund the development of the Rivers, Mormugao Port Trust would be implementing authority and state government’s Captain of Port will supervise and monitor the works.
The union government has declared stretches in six rivers — Mandovi (44 kms), Zuari (50 kms), Cumbharjua (17 kms), Chapora (33 kms), Mapusa (27 kms) and Sal (14 kms) — as that of national importance.
Parrikar said that the rights of the fishermen and other community will not be violated even after signing the MoU.
He also said that the coastal regulation zone will remain in force.
“We will take local communities into confidence before dredging the rivers. We will dredge the rivers only if required. You need not dredge if it is not required,” he said referring to the worries expressed by fishermen over their livelihood if rivers are dredged.
During the interaction, the social workers demanded that the act of the state to take over the rights over the river should be rescinded.
Olencio Simoes, representing the fishing community, said that the state government should get itself excluded from the act.
Parrikar said that the power to scrap the act does not lie with the state government. “When parliament makes the law, you don’t require consent of the state,” he said adding that the social activists can approach the Supreme Court to get it scrapped, if they find the law illegal.
