SUNDAY, MAY 19, 2024
Team Herald
PANJIM: The Goa Bachao Abhiyan (GBA) on Sunday welcomed the High Court’s interim order dated May 2, 2024, staying the illegal permissions permitted under the suspended ODPs of Calangute-Candolim and Arpora-Parra-Nagoa, noting that the main beneficiaries included the then minister and MLA Michael Lobo, who did double duty as Chairman of the North Goa Planning and Development Authority ( NGPDA).
The High Court order vindicates the GBA stand that planning is not being followed in a participatory manner and has been hijacked to suit personal gain, it said.
Addressing a press conference, GBA convenor Sabina Martins and secretary Reboni Saha charged that illegal zone changes were done by TCP Minister Vishwajit Rane for himself, his favoured colleagues and promising businesses.
Martins recalled that when BJP was in the opposition, it had accused Rane of indulging in land conversion during the fraudulent Regional Plan 2011.
Reacting to TCP Minister’s statement that under amendment 39A, he will 'Honour past commitments ', the GBA questioned him which commitments? The Minister is on record stating that there will be no Regional Plan, a self-serving move clearly against democratic principles of participatory planning.
Huge tracts of land under No Development Zones (NDZ) have been sold cheap and converted for benefit of real estate builders, making crores of rupees in the process of resale or development of the same. The impact of such piecemeal anti-people amendments is that it pushes up the price of land for ordinary people as no locals can afford to compete with big business speculation.
The GBA alleged that the government was now going all out to suppress people's voices by refusing permissions for public awareness programmes or putting pressure on people who provide permissions. At Old Goa, the government tried in vain to withdraw permission while, at Margao, the permission was withdrawn last minute.
Similarly at Arambol, threats were issued by the police to a hapless elderly nun, stating arrest if the meeting takes place in the neighbouring hall, despite the convent having nothing to do with organising the same. Countless calls were made by the police asking for a shut-down of the meeting even while it was happening.
The people of Goa must decide whether they want a government, who suppresses people’s voices, prevents citizens from participatory planning of their own future and destroys the environment wholesale, the GBA leaders concluded.
