PANJIM: ‘Citizens for Goa’ have warned of a mass village movement, if the controversial Regional Plan 2021 is not de-notified within the next one month, in the wake of Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar declaring in the House that he would handle the Regional Plan 2021 issue only after settling the mining crisis.
The anti-RP activists have also demanded a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the illegal permissions and NOCs granted by the Chief Town Planner and other local bodies to various mega projects.
“The destruction of Goa is in full swing in the absence of a RP for the State. Rampant hill cutting, massive construction on hills, khazan lands, private forest areas, eco-sensitive zones, coastal regulation zone (CRZ) is on the rise with permissions being granted by the Town and Country Planning department, panchayats and other authorities,” Citizens for Goa convenor Swati Kerkar told a press conference on Saturday.
Kerkar warned of massive village movement against the BJP-led government if it fails to de-notify the RP-21 within next one month and start fresh process for drafting a new land-use plan in consultation with the public. “The question arises as to why government is in a dilemma over de-notifying the plan? Enough time has been granted. We would soon launch a mass village movement,” she said.
The NGO urged the government to set up a core committee for revising the RP-21 along with initiating fresh process for new land plan. They also demanded that a unanimous resolution be passed in the Assembly demanding de-notification of RP.
