SATURDAY, APRIL 20, 2024
Team Herald
PANJIM: In a pushback against mounting people's position to the introduction of land use clauses, TCP minister Vishwajit Rane told a local TV channel, “I have not taken a naya paisa from anyone. The Regional Plan 2021 was a big scam against the people of Goa.”
Rane further said that the government will not draft a new Regional Plan and henceforth will adopt zoning plans.
“As far as we are concerned, there will be no Regional Plan in the State of Goa because Regional Plan 2021 was the biggest scam on the people of Goa by the State Level Committee. This is my allegation against the State Level Committee and an inquiry will be conducted against the then SLC members. I will table the entire report in the next session of the Goa Assembly,” Rane told a local TV channel.
Earlier, Rane had received praise when he decided to engage professional consultants like renowned US-based Goan planner and architect Vinayak Bharne to look at planning holistically in Goa.
The going back to the drawing board keeping people at the village level as a part of the consultative process, the Minister will receive the confidence of the people.
The Minister said that the government in order to be more transparent will involve consultants, who will help the government in making zoning plans and will ensure that every paddy field, slope and No development Zone is protected and this is what the government wants to do.
Stating that zoning plans will be a new way forward, Rane said, “It will be my view that we should strictly go by zoning plans with professional consulting agencies onboard and move forward. This will be applicable to all ODPs (Outline Development Plans) and zoning plans.”
Rane said that he is not in a state of mind and has no strength to draft a new Regional Plan because it will open a huge Pandora’s Box and it will be difficult to control.
Denying that he had received any money from anybody to change the Regional Plan, Rane claimed that he will defend Section 17 (2) of TCP Act.
“I will try to give justice to those who were affected by Regional Plan,” he said, adding that he will re-examine all cases under Section 16 (B) of the TCP Act.
He further said, “It is only my request to the judiciary to take government’s point of view on merit to merit basis so that we are able to present ourselves. Let the people of Goa present themselves. One section of people cannot be called the people of Goa. There is every part of Goa that has to be taken into confidence.”
