PANJIM: The six-month deadline for preparing and drafting the land use plan – Outline Development Plan (ODP) – for newly included Calangute and Candolim villages under North Goa Planning and Development Authority (NGPDA) has lapsed. NGPDA’s failure to prepare the land plan, might force the State government to direct Town and Country Planning department (TCP) to draft the ODP for these villages, a mandatory process under TCP Act 1974.
The government via a notification on January 8 included Calangute and Candolim villages under NGPDA. Following severe opposition, NGPDA decided to temporarily hold back its decision to draft an ODP for these villages. “However, no such intimation was forwarded to the government. As per notification, the NGPDA has to draft the ODP within six months of its constitution,” Chief Town Planner Dr ST Puttaraju told Herald. The six month period lapsed on July 8.
Dr Puttaraju explained that as per section 26 of the TCP Act 1974, every planning and development authority has to prepare a land use plan within six months from the date of its constitution or appointment and not later than that, apart from time extension sought from the government.
“Post drafting of ODP, the same has to be kept open for public objections and suggestions for a period of one month,” the chief town planner said.
When contacted, sources at the Secretariat confirmed that as per the Act, government may direct TCP to prepare ODP without any further delay. “Government has not received any letter from NGPDA stating that it has kept the process on hold or that there are objections to the same,” sources said.
As per section 28, of the Act, “if within the period specified in section 26 or within such further period as the Government may specify, no plan is prepared, or (b) if at any time the Government is satisfied that the Planning and Development Authority is not taking steps necessary to prepare such a map or register within that period, the Government may direct the Chief Town Planner to prepare plan and register it”.
“The Chief Town Planner shall, after the preparation of the map/plan and register, submit the same to the Board, and the Board shall, for the purpose of adopting the map so prepared, follow the procedure and exercise the powers of a Planning and Development Authority,” it added.
Following severe, opposition, the plans to include Candolim and Calangute in the ODP were being temporarily kept on hold by NGPDA stating that if the Regional Plan is released before this, the areas would not be brought under the ODP. NGPDA has also said that since the ODPs of Taleigao and Mapusa are being kept open, once that is completed, the Candolim-Calangute ODP would be taken up.
