PANJIM: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has remanded a matter to the Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA) to decide whether Baina village be declared as a fishing village in terms of CRZ notification 2011. The Tribunal’s order comes in response to an appeal by three locals challenging demolition notice of a few structures and seeking directions to the authorities concerned to declare Baina as fishing village. “The issue with regard to fishing village should have been considered by the GCZMA so as to fulfill the intention of the legislation, as given in clause 3 of the Notification. Therefore, we deem it just and proper and in the interest of justice, that this matter be remanded to the GCZMA so as to consider the issue with regard to Fishing Village and pass appropriate orders, in accordance with law,” the bench stated in its order passed last week. Goenchea Raponkarancho Ekvott (GRE) has hailed the order with its General Secretary Olencio Simoes claiming this being the second time the GCZMA demolition order was set aside. Previously the High Court of Bombay had put a stay order. Simoes alleged that the fishermen of Baina are harassed and disgusted the manner in which this government has handled the matter without considering that the CRZ notification 2011 - enforced for the sole purpose of ensuring the security to the livelihood of the fishing community and protecting the related structures. “But sadly, the CRZ notification enforced in1991 in the interests of fishermen has not been followed. It has been 27years now that the fishing community houses in Goa have not been regularized and this government does not feels it necessary to sense the urgency in resolving the long pending issues of the fishermen of Goa,” the GS added. President of GRE Agnelo Rodrigues recalled that the present government and Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar had promised the fishermen to protect and uphold the legacy of late Matanhy Saldanha “but it is an irony that none of the 40 MLAs seem interested in raising and resolving the long pending issue except for Michael Lobo who has consistently and sincerely been raising our issues in the assembly and also solving the problems of the fishermen of Goa.” The GRE demands that government immediately resolve the issues.