the goan I network
PANAJI
The Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority has decided to form a joint team of appropriately senior officials from the Tourism and Excise departments, besides Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) and the respective panchayats to handle the issue of the nearly thousand temporary structures ordered to be demolished by the National Green Tribunal along turtle-nesting beaches of Agonda, Mandrem and Morjim.
At its 198th meeting held on last Friday, the GCZMA decided to form the team after it noted during deliberations that these unauthorised shacks, huts, tents, cottages, resorts and hotels entail licensing and permissions from multiple government authorities. The Tourism department will be the nodal department for the purpose of co-ordination as well as to ensure compliance of directions, the Authority decided in the meeting on Friday last.
It may be recalled that the GCZMA had issued demolition notices to hundreds of licencees running these establishments about two weeks ago triggering panic in Agonda, Morjim and Mandrem.
The administration had also readied machinery to carry out the demolitions but the umbrella organisation of these tourism enterprises approached the Bombay High Court at Goa which granted an interim stay on the demolition notices issued by the GCZMA and has fixed the hearing for after the court vacation in June.
Meanwhile the joint team with the Tourism department as the nodal department has been mandated to undertake special drive in the No Development Zones (NDZ) of Morjim, Mandrem, Galgibaga and Agonda to check the operations of these enterprises without NOC/permission of GCZMA and or in contravention of NGT order and CRZ Notification. Failure to adhere to the timeline will be viewed seriously, responsibility fixed against the concerned officers under Section 19 of the Environment Protection Act 1986 in an appropriate court of law, the GCZMA has warned.
Also, the concerned department shall also initiate necessary action including revocation of licences/imposition of fines/penalties under independent statute for said contraventions and violations. The team as been asked to complete the drive within 3 weeks and submit its report, including action taken to the GCZMA.
