Margao: The Congress party has demanded that the government reconsider the decision to privatise the Cortalim jetty by handing it over to deep sea fishing players.
Congress Leaders Question Govt
The Congress leaders questioned whether the government had decided to privatise the Cortalim jetty for fishing, coal handling or casinos. Addressing the media, Congress South Goa district president Savio D’Silva in the presence of Olencio Simoes, Orville Dourado and others, suggested that the government should instead upgrade the jetty and open it for use by traditional fishermen.
He demanded to know whether the government had floated a tender before taking a decision to hand over the jetty to private parties. “We would like to know whether the government had taken the fishing stakeholders and the panchayat into confidence before taking the decision,” he said.
Suspecting that the fish mafia is behind the government’s decision to privatise the Cortalim fishing jetty, D’Silva said attempts are being made by the fish mafia to bring in 75-feet fishing boats into the state. “Since these boats cannot be anchored at the Cutbona fishing jetty, these fish mafia players have got the government to privatise the Cortalim fishing jetty,” he said.
D'Silva queried whether Cortalim MLA Anton Vas was aware of the government’s decision or not, demanding the independent legislator should apologise and resign if he knew the State move. “If the MLA is with the people and the fishermen, he should strongly take up the matter with the Fisheries Minister and the Director to scrap the privatisation decision,” D’Silva said.
Congress Leader Olencio Simoes On Clarity
Congress leader Olencio Simoes said there is no clarity on whether the government is privatising the Cortalim jetty for fishing or it's a guise to support casinos and coal handling.
“It is surprising that the government has privatised the Cortalim jetty when as many as 10 fishing organizations have been demanding upgradation of the Vasco jetty for the last 10 years,” Simoes said.
He further said that big fishing vessels from Malpei in Karnataka and Maharashtra have been allowed by the government to unload fish at the Cortalim fishing jetty when fishermen at Kharewaddo have been demanding the upgradation of the fishing jetty. “Why the Cortalim jetty should be handed over to the deep sea fishing parties? The government should give the jetty to the fishermen,” he demanded.
