PANJIM: In an attempt to settle the controversies surrounding the Regional Plan 2021 (RP21) the BJP-led government will decide on keeping the plan open for fresh public suggestions and objections following consultations with the Chief Minister. The plan is likely to be thrown open to the public for a period of 15-days to one month, before it is notified by December 2015.
A special meeting on this has been scheduled between Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar and Deputy Chief Minister and Minister for Town and Country Planning (TCP) Francis D’Souza on September 7. D’Souza will be placing before Chief Minister his proposal of seeking fresh suggestions and objections to the land plan. However, the plan will not be sent back to the villages or talukas for corrections.
Speaking to Herald, D’Souza said that the suggestions and objections received to the plan, which are nearly 3500 are outdated and that there is every possibility that people would like to place fresh objections and suggestions, which would be taken into account before notifying the plan.
“The process of seeking objections to the plan had started at the end of 2011. The correction process was halted due to the March 2012 Assembly elections. It’s been now three years since those suggestions and it would be wise to seek fresh suggestions and objections to the plan,” the Deputy Chief Minister said adding, “the final decision will be taken only after consulting the Chief Minister.”
“This does not mean that the government will not consider those 3500 objections. We will incorporate those objections while making necessary corrections and improvement in the plan,” he clarified.
D’Souza said that notification announcing that the plan is being thrown open would be issued before Ganesh Chaturthi. “A fresh opportunity has to be granted to the people. Since 2012, there have been several changes and all needs to be looked into,” he said. He clarified that there is no point in sending back the plan to the local bodies or villages, as there are several talukas or villages that didn’t raise objections.
“Though we will not be in position to satisfy all, genuine objections and worries will be settled,” the TCP Minister said reiterating that the plan would be notified by December end, this year.
TCP had earlier moved a file with three options on the RP’s finalization – to scrap it, to continue with it after implementing corrections from objections and suggestions received, or to continue with the plan in its present form.
In its 2012 election manifesto, BJP had promised to scrap RP21 and draft a new plan. However, the government is now clear on its stand that there is no need to scrap the existing land plan.
As per information available under the Right to Information (RTI) Act, 166 panchayats submitted inputs for corrections of the notified RP21, while 15 demanded that the plan be scrapped.
