PANJIM: Candolim villagers have demanded the scrapping of the draft Outline Development Plan (ODP) for their village as well as removal of Candolim from the planning and development area.
Villagers on Monday alleged that large portions of mangroves, orchard and no development zones will be converted into settlement and commercial under the proposed Outline Development Plan .
Villagers on Sunday had walked out from the Gram Sabha, which ended in chaos after the panchayat secretary and sarpanch refused to entertain a demand to adopt a resolution opposing the Outline Development Plan .
Addressing media persons, village committee president Sachin Kutikar said that in 2015 villagers supported the Outline Development Plan as the MLA had assured that illegal houses in Candolim would be regularised. “However, what we saw in the draft Outline Development Plan was completely shocking. There were illegal conversions of no development zone, mangroves, etc,” he said.
He said that as per Article 243 (G) of the Constitution, preparation of plan for social and economic justice has to be drafted by local governing bodies.
“This means, the plan has to be prepared by the respective panchayats and not by NGPDA. As such, we demand, that the draft Outline Development Plan be scrapped and also the village be removed out of PDA,” Kutikar said.
He said that at the gram sabha, villagers pointed out to various flaws in the Outline Development Plan and had demanded scrapping of the Outline Development Plan and the PDA. “Raising their voices against the plan, locals said that the village was being destroyed by the ill-planned Outline Development Plan. But the Sarpanch and the panch members declined to listen to us,” he stated.
Reacting to the opposition, NGPDA chairman and local MLA Michael Lobo said, “If anyone has some objection, let them represent it to me. I am ready to hear them. We want to have a transparent planning process.” He assured that mangroves, no development zones will not be touched.
