Sawant assures to pursue case of coastal dwellers with Centre

Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has assured that the state government will pursue the matter pertaining to the houses and small business structures of fishermen communities, local inhabitants and other traditional dwellers with the central government to ensure livelihood security to them.

He assured this in the state legislative assembly on Saturday while replying on the calling attention motion moved by the Calangute MLA Michael Lobo demanding safeguard of livelihood of traditional dwellers, fishermen, local inhabitants of the Goa coastal belt, who are staying within 500 metres of the high-tide line within the state of Goa as they have received various inspections notices / show cause notice / demolition orders from Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority for their residential houses / restaurants / guest houses / shop etc.

He pointed out that the livelihood of the traditional dwellers / fisherman / local inhabitants are at stake.Minister for Environment Aleixo Sequeira said that the government is sympathetic towards these traditional coastal communities and hence it has endeavored to prepare a comprehensive plan in consultation with the stakeholder.  

“The survey for identifying the fishermen’s houses is underway. Care will be taken to ensure that unscrupulous persons who are not traditional dwellers and are not finding a mention in the comprehensive plan for traditional coastal communities will not be included in the protective list and this will be placed in public domain,” he added.“In the recent past the GCZMA has acted as per the directions given by the courts of law whereby commercial establishments have been ordered to be sealed if they have failed to prove their existence prior to February 19, 1991 or that they had any permissions from the GCZMA,” Sequeira said.