Aleixo hopeful all issues will be addressed by Sept 30
MARGAO
With improvements taking place at the cholera-hit Cutbona fishing jetty on the sanitation and cleanliness front, the stage is set for the inauguration of the 222-metre long new Cutbona jetty by Chief Minister Pramod Sawant tentatively on September 30.
Environment Minister Aleixo Sequeira, who took a review of the situation at Cutbona at his weekly darbar on Friday, expressed satisfaction that things are finally falling in place, adding that all the issues should be hopefully addressed by September 30.
“When we met the last time, there was a demand that the jetty has no illumination. All the lights have been made functional at the jetty since Thursday night. There’s an issue over water shortage. The boat owners’ federations are procuring the water through water tankers. I am happy that the PWD has come forward to give water connections to the jetty. This will be done once the federation of boat owners makes an application for water connection,” he said.
The Minister further promised the boat owners that the PWD will address the issues of the jetty road from the Betul road at the earliest.
“Things are progressing. We will achieve our goal in the next 10 days. I am happy that the dinghies stored on the new jetty have been removed. May be only 20 out of 100 are remaining. After notices were issued to remove the 46 vessels, the boat owners have removed 24 vessels till date,” he said, while giving credit to the Cutbona Boat Owners Federation for their cooperation and helping the authorities to come close in achieving the goal.
On the new jetty inauguration, Sequeira said inauguration of the jetty is not important, but what is important is to get the same in working condition. “The GSIDC has been told to study on the question whether six-wheel vehicles can enter the new jetty. This study cannot be done overnight. Since the government has invested huge money in the jetty, we will move forward. The agency will guide the government how to go about operationalising the new jetty,” he said.
Asked to comment that Velim MLA Cruz Silva was not being invited for the meeting on Cutbona, Sequeira said he has respect for the Velim MLA. I may have reservation about the other MLA. I hold the Velim MLA in high esteem. We have nothing to hide on Cutbona. I have been holding review meetings on Cutbona in the presence of the media,” he added.
