Team Herald
PANJIM: The Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP) ordinary meeting on Thursday witnessed a major storm after the ruling panel declined to approve the Panjim Outline Development Plan (ODP) and works under AMRUT scheme for 2017-18. The decision was objected to by the BJP backed opposition council, who boycotted the meeting after a verbal spat between the two groups.
As in the past few meetings, the ruling Council, was bent on not granting a nod to the ODP claiming that the corporation was not consulted in the planning process and in case of AMRUT, they demanded that permission be granted after Goa State Infrastructure Development Corporation (GSIDC), the nodal agency, submits detail project reports (DPR) with estimates. Until then, CCP resolved not to grant any new construction licences in the city.
The 90-minute meeting that saw only ruling panel
discussing the agenda after the opposition boycott and the Commissioner leaving the meeting midway to catch a flight, witnessed almost physical confrontation between Mayor Surendra Furtado and opposition councilor Pundalik Raut Dessai. They were however, stopped by their colleagues.
The ordinary meeting, which initially started with the opposition objecting to the corporation decision to recruit ex-serviceman to collect sopo and impose fines, without taking the council into confidence, attained an ugly look, after the Mayor and his panel, without discussion decided not to approve the works under AMRUT Mission for the year 2017-18.
Ruling councilors Dinesh Salgaocar, Rahul Lotlikar and Uday Madkaikar were up-in-arms against granting approval to the AMRUT Mission. Commissioner Dessai tried his best to convince the ruling panel that the council approval is sought for works to undertake for the coming financial year. The opposition also tried to explain the same, but the ruling panel was firm on its decision not to grant approval.
“This ruling panel resolves that GSIDC will have to submit detailed project report with proper estimate to corporation for study. Until then, no permission would be granted,” Furtado said.
The situation got further tense when the ruling panel again declined to approve the final ODP for Panjim. The ruling panel alleged that the ODP sub-committee headed by Panjim MLA Siddharath Kuncolienkar is biased and refused to accept its findings. The panel said that the corporation was kept in the dark during the consultation process.
However, this was countered by the opposition that produced photo copies and documents to prove that the Mayor, along with his wife Ruth, was part of the consultation process and had even submitted suggestions and objections to the plan.
The BJP-backed panel consisting of Raut Desai, former Mayor Shubham Chodankar, Rupesh Halankar, Menino D’Cruz, informed the House that the Commissioner, on behalf of the corporation, had submitted its suggestions to ODP. “By not granting approval to ODP, you are proving that CCP is against development. Mayor and his team are acting like political agents. This is not acceptable,” they told the media after the meeting.
On the other hand Furtado claimed that without proper infrastructure facilities, roads, solution to garbage crisis, how can the government plan a new ODP with special commercial and settlement zones with 200 and 300 FAR. “The TCP Board has already approved ODP but we are not going to grant any construction licences. Let the government go to court,” the Mayor said. In the past the Mayor had made a representation to TCP objecting to the ODP.
CCP also decided to sign lease agreements with the legal market tenants at Rs 250 per sq mtrs rate fixed by PWD. In regards to illegal tenants, the government will be asked to decide. The council also approved the bye-laws and recruitment rules, carnival float parade 2017 route and committee. The parade will be now start from Miramar circle. It also decided to stop collection of bio-medical waste from hospitals and clinics.
