Says policies ill-defined; calls for change
PANJIM, JAN 3
Goa Bachao Abhiyan on Monday claimed the draft Regional Plan 2021 showed 89 active mines whereas the current notified plan shows 129 making it very clear that 40 mining leases have been released during the last three years.
The GBA addressed a press conference in the city on Monday to bring to the fore the discrepancies in the notified plans of Pernem and Canacona and to point out how the Government had deviated from the promises in the policy document.
The briefing pointed out in Khola, Canacona, there was shown a bauxite mine which was not marked in the draft RP or the maps sent in by the village panchayat.
Claiming several discrepancies, the media was taken through a power point presentation pointing out the same. While the old issues like notifying eco-sensitive zones and FAR status remain, the GBA brought out new issues before the media persons.
Speaking on the mining issue, GBA said the release of 40 mining leases during the last three years was in deep contravention of the draft RP-21 which clearly indicates phasing out of mining in the interests of the health of the State.
Claiming arbitrary policy decisions, it maintained the village map of Virnoda as submitted in the draft had increased in area manifold in the final taluka plan, now including parts adjoining Pernem village. It is not clear whether the included areas will fall under the jurisdiction of the Virnoda Panchayat or the Pernem Municipality, it stated.
The GBA said it was shocking to see Cotigao, which is largely a wildlife sanctuary area, has the highest projected population growth in the Canacona taluka (from 3,075 to 7140, i.e. a projected increase of 4,065). “How is this possible when all the remaining villages are showing either a decrease in population or marginal increase of less than a 1,000?” it questioned.
Pointing to the large scale insertions, the Abhiyan said Mandrem has large settlement zone added belonging to Maha Seer Hotels & Resorts Private Ltd and others in Survey Nos 210 to 215 which is not shown in notified draft plan or village plans submitted.
It observed that the rationalisation of FAR (floor area ratio) does not follow any clear guidelines, with wildly varying population projections not following any logic. For example, Virnoda has a projected decrease in population from 948 to 729, yet it has been given VP1 status along with increased settlement area, it claimed. Cotigao with its 4,075 increase has been given VP2 status, it added.
The GBA has now demanded with the Government to follow its obligation of having people’s participation and clearly spell out the guidelines for finalisation of plan. It has called for removal of faulty and ill-defined policies that have sprung up in the final notification and keep the plan open for 30 days prior to notification.
The Abhiyan pointed out that the RP 2021 process had begun with a modicum of transparency with the Task Force on RP 21 and the uploading of the village maps on the Goa Government website. However, now the links to the village plans have been deleted and the Pernem taluka plan is no longer available at the TCP’s Mapusa office, so designated in the Official Gazette of 25 November, 2010, it maintained.
It said while the SLC (state-level committee) was formed by an internal order for technical assistance to the Government, the constitution of the committee and its mandate were not notified in the Official Gazette like the Task Force on RP-21 or other committees.
