Congress asks Goa CM to investigate Goa CZMP irregularities

PANAJI: The preparation of the draft coastal zone management plan (CZMP) for the state was a massive scam said the Congress party on Sunday as it urged chief minister Pramod Sawant to launch a thorough investigation into the deliberate delay, inaccuracies and mismanagement in the CZMP.
The party has also demanded an immediate freeze on the sale deeds for the properties falling within 500 meters of the coastline including grant of any new approvals till the revised CZMP is notified.
Convener of the Congress communications department Trajano D'mello, in a written letter to Sawant, said that government officials including cabinet ministers have deliberately manipulated the CZMP.
"The three years of delay for preparation of draft CZMP is intentional to help land sharks to facilitate execution of sale deeds of properties in coastal areas. The maximum number of sale deeds were registered during this period in coastal area that is from the day the work order as issued," said D'mello.
The environment department issued the work order to national centre for sustainable coastal management (NCSCM) on March 29, 2016 for Rs 1.11 crore with a deadline of six months. Three years later, the plan remains at the draft stage.