The Union Ministry for Urban Development has written to the Chief Secretaries of all States that villages that have been recognised as towns in the 2011 Census should be upgraded to municipalities. There are 3764 such villages across the country, of which 56 are in the State of Goa. Census towns are those that have acquired urban characteristics. A village that has a population of over 5000, has at least 75 per cent of its male population engaged in non-agricultural activities and a population density of 400 persons per sq km, gets tagged as a ‘census town’.
If the State government takes forward the Union ministry’s instructions, then the number of towns, or urban centres, in Goa could increase drastically and thereby result in reducing the number of villages in the State. Goa currently has 14 municipalities, including the municipal corporation of Panjim the capital city, and 191 village panchayats. This, upgrading panchayats to towns, is one move that could change the face of the State. The rationale behind the Centre’s decision to establish statutory local bodies such as municipalities is primarily to promote planned urban growth. The ministry does not want the areas that have characteristics of towns, to lose out on planned development, as against unplanned construction and ad hoc provisioning of infrastructure in the rural areas.
There are a number of villages in the State that are very urban in nature. The villages surrounding Panjim, Margao, Vasco, and some of the coastal tourist spots have very urban characteristics. Take for instance, the Porvorim area that comes under several different panchayats. It is more urban in appearance than some of the municipal councils in the State. Taleigao, another panchayat, is perhaps better developed than some of the B class municipal councils areas in Goa. Why then should these villages, and so many others, not get the benefits of urban planned development?
While that sounds positive, the fact cannot be dismissed, or even ignored, that once village panchayats are upgraded into municipalities, they will bring in changes in land usage, allowing for a higher floor area ratio (FAR) that will in turn lead to taller buildings in what were once the green and pristine villages of Goa. For a State and a people who love to treasure that unique identity, this move could well come as a jarring blow to the sensibilities. That is likely to be one aspect that will draw opposition to the move. Development, however, will take its toll and claim its price, urbanisation being one of them, as the browning of Goa gets the Centre’s nod.
But that is not the only reason why this move will be opposed. Past attempts to convert panchayats into municipalities have been met with resistance in the State, mainly due to the increased taxes such a change brings in. In the case of Panjim, when the municipal council was upgraded into a corporation, Taleigao and Porvorim were proposed to be brought under the new municipal corporation, but opposition from the residents of these areas led to the proposal being dropped and the Corporation of the City of Panaji came into being with hardly any change in its total area. This has not allowed Panjim to grow and has also placed several constraints on the administration and financials of the city.
Urbanisation through the formation of municipal bodies as envisaged by the Ministry of Urban Development will lead to a two-pronged dilemma. On the one hand it will allow for planned development, but it will also give way to the concretisation of the area. The Regional Plan that is even now being finalised would probably have to take this new proposal into consideration.
