MARGAO, NOV 5
Responding to the cries of the Goa Bachao Abhiyan, the villagers of Chandor and Guirdolim on Friday have unanimously decided to call local MLA and Urban Development Minister, Joaquim Alemao to the village where they would ask him to press the government to immediately notify the Regional Plan 2021
Chandor Sarpanch Derrick Braganza Pereira and his Guirdolim counterpart Jose Antao agreed to the demand of the villagers to arrange a meeting with the MLA at the earliest not only to discuss the RP 2021, but other developmental issues facing the two villages.
This was decided after GBA Convenor Sabina Martins appealed to the people of the two villagers to pressurize their MLA to take up with the government the demand for immediate notification of the RP plan.
Martins warned that the people of Goa will take to the streets once again if the government fails to pay heed to their demand. She reminded the government that the people of Goa had three years ago participated in a huge meeting on 18 December on the Regional Plan, adding that the people will not hesitate to do the same notwithstanding that the state is celebrating the golden jubilee year of Goa’s Liberation from the Portuguese regime.
The GBA convenor pointed out that land prices have skyrocketed in Goa due to the trend of the rich in the country to set up a holiday home in the state. She was highly critical of the government, saying the government appears not inclined to notify the RP 2021 because of vested interests. “The time has come to tell our MLAs to put pressure on the government to notify the Regional Plan and freeze development in eco sensitive zones”, she told the villagers.
A villager from Chandor, Luel Fernandes stressed on the need to retain the village identity and character, saying that Goans would be reduced to a minority if the villagers are converted into urban area.
He also touched upon the extraction of black metal from the hills bordering Chandor with Sao Jose de Areal, resulting in the degradation of the village.
In his address, GBA member Agnelo Furtado lamented that the government has failed miserably to honour the dates to notify the RP 2021. Asserting that the Constitution has been amended to empower the people, Furtado charged the government for paying lip service to the grassroot institutions.
Chandor Sarpanch Derrick Braganza Pereira recalled how the Panchayat had organized ward-wise meetings to get the villagers participate in the RP process, but regretted that the government has not notified the RP 2021 till date.
