Team Goemkarponn
BAINA: The Mormugao Port Authority (MPA) has invited expressions of interest for leasing Baina beach for 30 years, triggering strong opposition from Congress leaders and fishermen’s representatives, who have warned of a massive agitation against the proposal.
South Goa MP Captain Viriato Fernandes and fishermen’s leader Olencio Simoes have strongly opposed the move, raising concerns over public access, the rights of traditional fishing communities and the future of Goa’s coastline.
Fernandes asserted that the Congress would not allow the privatisation of Goa’s beaches, maintaining that the coastline belongs to the people and should not be handed over to private interests at the expense of public rights.
Simoes issued a stern warning, stating that fishermen from across Goa would march to the MPA if the authority proceeded with the proposal. He further warned that the agitation could escalate to the extent of disrupting port operations if the concerns of fishing communities were not addressed.
The proposed lease has once again brought the contentious issue of coastal control in Goa into focus. The MPA’s jurisdiction over stretches of the state’s coastline has remained a subject of debate, with Fernandes previously advocating amendments to restore greater authority over coastal areas to the state government and local bodies.
Congress leaders have described the proposed 30-year lease as an attempt to place a public coastal asset under long-term private control. They have called for the proposal to be opposed and vowed to resist any move that could compromise public access and the interests of traditional fishing communities.
