Against the backdrop of protests from almost every taluka, Environment Minister Nilesh Cabral has asked the panchayats to prepare and submit their own people’s CZMP to the environment department failing which, the State will submit the plan prepared by the NCSCM. Cabral added that wherever he went to explain the CZMP he has been given names. “We want to ask the people what they want but there are not ready to listen. How do we do a policy or a plan if people do not listen?” he asked. Cabral said that the govt has decided that the plan will be of the people and for the people.
“It will be a people’s scientific plan. Hence, the panchayats will have to prepare their own plan and submit it to the environment department. If need be, we will give them our technical experts but if they fail to do so then whatever plan sent by NCSCM will be sent to MoEFF & CC”, he said. Cabral said that the govt will ask the NGT for extension of submission for CZMP. Stating that the govt aim is to protect the eco-sensitive areas, coasts and the NDZs, he said the TCP dept has no authority to prepare the land use map for a State.