TEAM HERALD
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PANJIM: Goa Bachao Abhiyan (GBA) has charged that the current Parrikar-led government and previous Digambar led Congress government, are both the same, as far as delaying the finalization of the Regional Plan was concerned.
The GBA has been in the forefront of the campaign for the Regional Plan 2021.
Convenor, Dr Sabina Martins said, “He (Digambar Kamat) kept on delaying the regional plan and allowed people to do what they wanted. For four years he dragged and delayed the plan on some pretext or the other. Here too, on some pretext Parrikar is delaying the plan,” Parrikar’s excuse of the mining mess as responsible for delaying the plan was only applicable to the Regional Plan, but not for other projects like the Panjim development Plan, etc.
“The delay tactic is similar to the process followed by the previous government to allow selective development for selective people connected to them,” Martins alleged.
Stating that the incumbent government had committed itself to replacing the notified Regional Plan 2021 with a better document, Dr Martins pointed out that instead the Chief Minister in his written replies as well as oral statement in the recently concluded session of the Goa Legislative Assembly has only reiterated his direction issued as an Executive Order of June 4, 2012, by the TCP Department that keeps the RP 2021 in force while using the RP 2001 as a land use reference.
No sooner than Parrikar came to power that the TCP issued an Executive Order on June 4, 2012 stating any development plans would get approval only if the area was shown as settlement zone on both RP 2001 and RP 2021, effectively leaving both plans in force.
However, the GBA has alleged that in the interim period, projects had started, mangroves were being cut, hill cutting permission have been given to builders, large forest clearances by cutting trees is taking place, etc. “It has been noted that NOCs and permissions for development are being given in areas not shown as settlement in either the RP 2021 or RP 2001 even in steep slopes which are NDZ although the Executive Order of June 4, 2012, does not permit such a land use,” Martins alleged.
“While the CM has stated that his preoccupation with the issues relating to mining does not permit him to pay attention to the Regional Plan, no such issues seem to interfere with the revision of the ODPs for Panjim, Taleigao and Mapusa, currently the prime areas for constructions and change of land use,” she said.
