Goa fishermen call off stir on govt assurance

The fisherfolks had blocked the Goa port’s navigation channel for the second day on Saturday, forcing a total shutdown on maritime activity.

Over 150 trawlers and canoes had been positioned in the channel to block the movement of vessels at the port for two days. Revenue Minister Jose Phillip D’Souza who supported the agitation said the fishermen had been given an assurance by Chief Minister Digambar Kamat that the government would do its best to save the remaining houses. He said an all-party meeting called by the chief minister has decided to approach the Centre to save the fishermen’s homes.

Over 360 houses in the fishing village had been marked for demolition after a court order. Protests sparked off after 60 houses were demolished.

MPT Chairman P Padyan said the port has suffered a loss of Rs 45 crore in revenue. The loss to ore exporters is pegged at nearly Rs 100 crore.

Port authorities said 48 vessels, most of them ore carriers, were stuck in the outer and inner harbours for two days. Barge traffic, too, came to a complete halt. A cruise liner with 2,500 passengers from Dubai that was to berth at Mormugao on Saturday was diverted to Mumbai.