MARGAO: Goans for Goa (GFG) has urged Goans to be wary of the Regional Plan 2021 (RP21) as it had been drafted by the government only to appease builders and real estate developers. As such, it claimed that the RP21 would pave the way for more mega projects and boost the sale of Goan land to migrants.
A while ago, Chief Town Planner Dr S T Putturaj stated on record that hundreds of Goans were queuing at his office daily with the request to change their agricultural or orchard land into settlement zones.
In view of this, GFG demanded that before the Regional Plan is put up in the villages, the certain statistics/documents must be made available to the people.
“GFG demands that a map be provided, clearly identifying the settlement areas under the existing RP, and the proposed new areas it wants to convert into settlement zones must be colour coded for each village. A list of survey numbers with the names of the owners as per form I and XIV, and the area under each survey plan must kept for public scrutiny at the panchayat. This will clearly expose the beneficiaries and other unscrupulous investors, who are favoured by Town and Country Planning officials,” said GFG President Kennedy Afonso.
He continued, “GFG demands the appointment of a special committee, which will coordinate with the respective village committees to finalise the zones in their villages. If these steps are not taken, RP21 will be a bane for Goans. Nobody will be able to stop mega projects from coming up in the village and the sale of land. GFG appreciates the vigilance of St Estevam, and requests other villages, village forums, associations, NGOs to be on their guard, and go over the details when the RP21 is put up for display and public suggestion.”
