Nauxi public hearing by Centre, not my domain: Cabral

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Panaji: With opposition mounting to the public hearing scheduled on July 26 for the proposed Nauxi marina, environment minister Nilesh Cabral on Monday urged chief minister Pramod Sawant to intervene and take a decision on the issue.
He also suggested that the people could approach the high court and obtain a stay on the hearing.
“It is not in my domain to hold the hearing,” he said.
On October 30, 2019, a day after few legislators had said the chief minister has decided to postpone the public hearing of the marina till the state coastal zone management plan is ready, the hearing scheduled for November 2 last year was officially called off.
Cabral said that he has not ordered for the public hearing, pointed out that when the hearing was previously scheduled last year, both he and the chief minister intervened and got the hearing cancelled due to opposition.
“Goa State Pollution Control Board is authorised to conduct public hearings on the directions of the district collector. The public hearing has been ordered by the Union government. I don’t have anything to do with it,” the minister said.
Cabral said that GSPCB is an autonomous body and “it does not come under my purview”.
“The persons concerned having plausible stake in the environmental aspects of the project or activity can send their views, suggestions, comments and objections in writing on or before the scheduled date of public hearing to the regional officer, MOEFCC, Bangalore or GSPCB,” GSPCB member secretary Shamila Monteiro said.
She also said that hard copies of the executive summary with features of the projects in Konkani and English, the draft environmental impact assessment report and Form-I submitted by the project proponents were already made available for references at the North Goa collectorate, the directorate of industries, trade and commerce, deputy collector, CEO of north zilla panchayat, village panchayats of St Lourenco, Batim, Curca-Bambolim, Goa Velha, Merces, Santa Cruz, Siridao, Taleigao, Chicalim, Sancoale, Quelossim, Velsao-Pale and other places.