Though the organisation that called for a meeting at Lohia Maidan, Margao last week were all amateurs, the huge response only showed anger and frustration at those in power whose credibility is at the bottom of the heap. No doubt the immediate demands were scrapping of all PDAs, ODPs and denotifying the Regional Plan (RP) 2021, it is extremely clear that the pent up anger of the hijacking of the mandate in March 2017 got released, making the chief manipulator the prime target of attack. The people had not accepted the legitimacy of the present government and the anger over their mal-governance is at a all-time high.
Since the time of the shelved 2011 pink plan, the civil society has been demanding a regional plan in keeping with Goa’s greenery. The RP 2021 notified by the government in 2011 despite an element of consultation was not acceptable to all. I believe that the RP 2021 plan notified by the then government amidst strong lobbying by powerful interests was a solution at that time. Though there was opposition from certain quarters, there was some acceptability and some legitimacy. RP 2021 may have even contributed it’s bit towards the downfall of the Congress regime in 2012, with the then leader of opposition promising a new plan within 100 days of coming to power.
The introduction of the same plan kept on hold since on June 4, 2012 by persons whose credibility is all time low is simply unacceptable. They spoke of TDR prevalent in the metropolis as a solution. Then came the insistence on vertical development without internalising the concerns raised for over a decade. The attempt to hand over the planning process to the one who prepared the pink plan in 2011 may have been the last straw. It hit the very foundation of the movement to save what is left of Goa.
The coastal talukas faced the brunt of increased development activity related to tourism. The urban areas are getting congested due to migration from the villages. That about 22% of the apartments are vacant is a reality. Without addressing this core issue of making Goa a second home destination, the proposal of vertical development only added salt to the injury. Measures to decongest cities were deliberated upon but never found place in the rule book. The Council for Social Justice and Peace is justified in claiming that the outline development plans being out of place and without any scientific study to assess the capacity of the area and its impact on social, cultural and economic well being of the villagers. The lack of transparency in the zoning process and irrational conversions have further led to the demand for people’s participation in the preparation of the regional plan. Whether such a process would work effectively is a different matter altogether.
With the present players in the Town and Country Planning area there is a fear that operationalising the RP 21 placed in cold storage would only unleash unprecedented construction activity damaging the fragile ecosystem of the coastal state. The order operationalising the plan prohibits development in eco sensitive areas like low lying paddy fields, water bodies, khazan lands, flood-prone areas, lands having slope with 25% inclination and forest areas. Nobody believes that the present players can be trusted to protect the sanctity of these areas. The TCP Minister’s appeal to bring before him the illegalities fell on deaf ears. They have shown to be incapable of bearing cross of people’s trust. Their past continues to haunt their credibility.
The TCP minister who came under fiercest attack stated that planning and development is a need of the hour. That is right. But in any governance process a minimum level of trust is necessary for any government to carry on its basic functions. Francis Fukuyama the American Political Scientist was on dot, when he said ‘Trust in government has been identified as one of the most important foundations upon which the legitimacy and sustainability of political systems are built. Trust is essential for social cohesion and well-being as it affects government ability to govern and enables them to act without having to resort to coercion. Consequently, it is an efficient means of lowering transaction costs in any social, economic and political relationship’. It is in that context that the Council for Social Justice and Peace (CSJP) and the congregation at Lohia Maidan demanded the scrapping of the PDAs, ODPs and one plan for the entire state. Disrupt the existing for a better tomorrow appears to be the mood of the people
Public trust and legitimacy in functioning of the Town and Country Planning Department have always travelled in opposite directions.
Even a Chief Minister thundered in the floor of House that it is the most corrupt department. Even the present TCP Minister has tarred the department with the same brush. When three Chief Town Planners are created due to the Chief Town Planner not toeing the line shows the level of manipulation in the department. It is this type of actions that create suspicion. The state has fallen deep in scepticism largely due to failure to regain trust through crisp and clean measures.
In this season of complete breakdown of people’s trust in saving what is left of Goa and at the same time providing a proper planned development, the players in the field must be above board and pristine. Charles Correia and Edgar Ribeiro provided some legitimacy to the planning process people’s trust cannot be achieved through a tarnished leadership. If hope has to prevail the immaculate epitome of the adage about Caesar wife must be the rule. Lohia Maidan only highlighted that trust deficit.
(The writer is a practising lawyer and lecturer in Law).
