Goa CM assures solution to CRZ imbroglio

With the spectre of an agitation looming large just ahead of parliamentary elections in Goa, the Chief Minister Of Goa Mr Digambar Kamat announced a series of steps which his government plans to initiate in a bid to protect the thousands of houses within the Coastal regulation Zone(CRZ) in Goa, which are facing the axe following the directives of the high court in this regard.

The Chief Minister was addressing a press conference in the capital city of Panjim along with his cabinet colleagues  which included the Home Minister Mr Ravi Naik, Social Welfare Minister MR Ramakrishna Dhavlikar, Environment Minister Mr Aleixo Sequeira and Revenue Minister Mr Jose Phillip D'Souza.

Among the many initiatives suggested, the government was also considering consultations with noted constitutional experts like Mr Fali Nariman and Mr Shyam Diwan on how to protect the interests of people living along the coastline while exploring possibilities of amending local laws to provide them relief. The government was optimistic of its efforts producing the desired results before the high court meets up for the next hearing on the case which is scheduled for the 16th of June 2009.

Reminding citizens that the issue concerning the CRZ was a central government law applicable to the entire country, Mr Kamat hoped that the central government would amend the law to provide relief to the people and also remained open on the option of approaching the supreme court as a last resort to challenge any adverse judgement of the high court.

The Chief Minister also informed that the panchayats have been requested to take on record any document such as electricity bill, no objection certificates, water bills etc. issued by them for consideration in order to prove the existence of the houses before the cut off date of February 19, 1991.