The Regional Plan is indeed an albatross around the neck of this government. But it’s a weight it has to bear. The good intentions of keeping the Regional Plan of 2021 in abeyance due to several grey areas and anomalies and concepts like “eco tourism projects” which have had draconian fall outs, have been nullified by the delay in finalising an alternate plan. This delay, which has sunk into timelessness was formalised in the Assembly on Friday when the TCP Minister confirmed that there was no time frame to finalise the Regional Plan because the inputs from various talukas needed to come.
While the process cannot be faulted, the absence of any time frame cannot be acceptable. Moreover, there needs to be evidence that a far more important input has been taken on board in the “rectification” of the taluka level plans- the inputs given by the people. While this exercise wasn’t as extensive, due to several complications and the short time frame, many panchayats did try and put forth changes and recommendations that are vital. Those need to be reflected either in the taluka level final feedback or as a separate attachment to the taluka level feedback.
Meanwhile, the sanctity of the Regional Plan as the all encompassing document to determine land use to be further detailed by specific land use plans, has been eroded because the RP is not for the whole of Goa. Vast tracts of land are under the control of the PDAs who are working on their own Outline Development Plans. Many villages, currently under PDAs were earlier governed by the Regional Plan.
Finally, the people of Goa are not looking for a complicated solutions or “rectifications” as the process is now officially called. All they need is clarity and fairness and above all protection against an irreversible change to the village topography and identity. If mega projects have been sanctioned, road width and access needs to be looked at. Secondly, if projects have been allowed against the spirit of what the gram sabha or the panchayat has desired, a “rectification” is the least that should be expected.
Rectification, by definition is course correction. The current RP’s “rectification” process should be course corrected on both fronts a) The process cannot be without a time frame and be completely open ended and b) If the land use in any part of the taluka is in complete violation of what the land use was meant to be in the Draft Regional Plan, then it needs to be “rectified”.
Above all, for the Regional Plan to have any teeth, it should actually supersede all other plans and be the umbrella planning document encompassing all land in the state. The Investment Promotion Board’s mandate which supersedes even the Regional Plan should also be rectified to include that projects which are fundamentally against the land use and zoning in the Regional Plan, should be verified with the TCP, before accorded approval.
The Deputy Chief Minister’s promise to “rectify” is welcome but his time frame isn’t, but this rectification should include all grey areas and missing links for which the people of Goa have raised their voice and taken to the streets.
