The future of Goa will depend on those appointed on the Town & Country Planning Board and the Planning and Development Authorities.
Planning and utilisation of Goa’s limited land resources is vital for calibrated and sustainable development, especially our villages. Now is the right time that our Chief Minister appoints qualified and dedicated professionals, such as architects, engineers, lawyers, and experienced social activists who understand the implications of every aspect of people-centric development.
Those entrusted with this task must possess the mental calibre to foresee the consequences of their every action and prepare holistic plans and propose amendments of rules and regulations that are for the benefit of the local people and for protection and preservation of their natural assets and heritage.
For the last over a decade, lack of rational planning, coupled with greed of those sitting on these Boards and Planning Authorities have rendered our State in shambles creating irreversible damage to the living conditions of the citizens.
On a simple analysis it is obvious the various Outline Development Plans,(ODPs) prepared by the Planning and Development Authorities (PDAs) and approved by the Town and Country Planning Board which are notified in the last decade are baseless, illogical and stink of corruption of the highest order.
These were mere colourable exercises of doling out huge profits to the unscrupulous land sharks and real estate lobby for mutual profiteering which have destroyed orchards lands, green hill slopes, water bodies and low rise residential areas, by converting them into monstrous high rise residential and commercial zones.
The resultant effect is that the quality of life of the citizens has suffered tremendously due to unavailability of sufficient water, lack of sewage and garbage processing facilities, uninterrupted power supply, narrow roads causing traffic jams and lack of amenities such as parking for taxis, hawking zones, stray dog shelters and public toilets, just to mention a few.
On the environmental front, the planning process, or rather the lack of it, has promoted rampant tree cutting, destruction of forest and animal habitats, contamination of aquifers, springs and village wells.
Ironically the water from some of the polluted village wells and water bodies is being supplied through tankers to the newly constructed high-rise colonies, the residences of the rich and famous, which by some small fortunes are beyond the reach of an average Goan.
The wildlife is rendered homeless and left to fend for itself due to destruction of their natural habitat. Hence it is not uncommon nowadays to see armies of monkeys regularly raiding the nearby gardens and orchards of the village residents in search of food for their survival. They are declared as “vermin” on their own land. As a result, the Mangalore tiled roof tops are left with gaping holes, vegetables and fruits ransacked and the housewives devastated.
It is high time that those in power and decision-making realise that the cause of this man-animal conflict flows from the drawing boards of the Planning and Development Authorities and the Town & Country Planning Department.
Enough is enough; it is high time realisation dawns on our Chief Minister, and he understands that all the anguish of the people that culminates in various petitions before the Courts is lack of vision in governance.
The Chief Minister must desist from succumbing to pressure to appoint those who are lobbying, using various, arm-twisting tactics to gobble these key positions for themselves for self-development. Handing out these critical positions to “accommodate” political allies and their lackeys has proved to be disastrous for Goa.
The Chief Minister in all his wisdom needs to understand that a professionally and transparently run Town and Country Planning Department, which is competent to manage land resources in a balanced and rational manner can enhance the happiness index of its people as well as boost revenue of the State, as it is the pivot on which hinges the performance of all connected key departments, such as agriculture, tourism, fisheries, industries, panchayati raj, urban development just to mention a few.
Display of strong political will by the Chief Minister, and hard decisions to preserve our lands and heritage through people centric governance will be much appreciated and supported by the people of the State.
