Goa sends proposal to Centre on villages as eco-sensitive

Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Monday said his government had approached the Centre to include only 69 and not 99 villages in the list of eco- sensitive areas.

He said the state government has approached Union Ministry for Environment, Forest and Climate Change with a proposal to include 69 villages, which form part of wildlife sanctuaries, as eco-sensitive areas.

He said the Union government had initially issued a draft notification in 2015 for inclusion of 99 villages in the list of eco-sensitive zones.

"However, the state government approached the Centre to include only 69 villages in Mhadei, Bondla, Bhagwan Mahaveer, Netravali and Cotigao wildlife sanctuaries," Sawant said.

He told the House there would be no displacement or dislocation of local people living in eco-sensitive areas nor would agricultural and plantation activities be affected.

He was answering a calling attention motion by Independent MLA Prasad Gaonkar.