Dr Kamat to hear
public on beach issue
Sandesh Prabhudesai
29 November 2001
In order to have a totally transparent decision
on privatisation of beach management in the state, the government
has appointed one-man committee for a public hearing on the
pilot project of Miramar beach in Panaji.
Following this, the state plans to privatise
beach management of Goa’s famous beach stretch of Candolim-Calangute-Baga
in the north and Colva beach in the south.
The tourist state thus plans to release the
concept paper on beach management one week prior to the beginning
of the hearing, based on which objections or suggestions could
be filed. The state cabinet has already approved the paper.
Dr Nandkumar Kamat, a renowned environmentalist,
has been appointed to hear the public till 29 December and
submit a report to the government with recommendations.
"The committee can either endorse our
plan, modify it or recommend us to scrap it"; states
chief minister Manohar Parrikar, adding that he will comply
by the decision of the committee.
Since it is the first time in the country
any state has mooted the idea of privatising beach management,
there is lots of hue and cry over the issue. Besides opposition
parties, fishermen of Caranzalem, the village next to Miramar,
have planned a morcha in the city.
"All of them will have a right to know
the concept and then raise objections", states Parrikar.
He flays fears that the whole beach will be handed over to
the private party by stopping free access to the beach or
prohibiting traditional fishing activity.
The entire stretch from Miramar to Dona Paula
is around 3.5 kms. Parrikar, who is also the Panaji MLA, however
has proposed to privatise only 1.5 kms of it, the stretch
which is widely used by the tourists coming down to Goa.
Pending release of the concept paper, he
informs that the private parties will manage only facilities
like parking, toilets, changing rooms and vendors in the area,
by charging either the public for the facilities or the vendors
for selling products.
As Parrikar publicly disclosed the rough
idea without making any elaboration in detail, even local
newspapers have vehemently criticised the idea, expressing
fears that Goa’s famous beachline may also now go in the hands
of private parties.
Without legally allowing privatisation, several
beach resorts in the state have already ‘privatised’ the beaches,
prohibiting the general public to enter. Some of these resorts
have also been advertising about private beach availability,
to attract tourists.
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