PANJIM: A day after North Goa Planning & Development Authority (NGPDA) Chairman Michael Lobo alleged that politicians in Calangute were misguiding people on the Outline Development Plan (ODP), Congress reiterated that the plan of Calangute and Candolim is an over Rs 400 crore scam in the making.
Addressing a press conference on Thursday, former Calangute MLA Agnelo Fernandes alleged that the MLA is involved in the multi-crore scam. “All the areas shown as fields in the draft Regional Plan are being converted. Moreover, the areas shown as no development zone (NDZ) in the RP, and fields, are converted to settlement zone in the ODP. The NDZ, which also includes slopes, are converted particularly for outsiders,” Fernandes alleged.
He charged there were irregularities in the process stating, “Give me time, I will calculate the exact amount of scam and make it public. Environmentalists and others concerned are on the job to gather details. As of now, my calculation is Rs 300-400 crore.”
One of the activists, Roshan Mathais, present at the press briefing, challenged Lobo for an open debate over the latter’s remark that structures can be regularised under ODP. “When he (Lobo) talks about regularising structures, he should tell us on what basis will it be done? We are ready for an open debate. He should stop lying to us because we know that regularisation powers lie with the Revenue Department and not under ODP,” he stated.
