Team Herald
PANJIM: The Goa Bachao Abhiyan (GBA) has requested for appointments with both Goa’s Lok Sabha MPs to highlight the ‘unconstitutional’ state denial of participative ‘Spatial’ planning as guaranteed in Article 243 ZD of the Constitution of India.
According to GBA convenor Sabina Martins, South Goa MP Capt Viriato Fernandes heard the concerned citizens during a meeting at Margao, where various issues were highlighted. It noted failure of the State government to include peoples’ participation in planning due to non-implementation of the mandate of the 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendment vis-à-vis ‘spatial’ planning in the State as described in Article 243ZD of the Constitution. Error in Section 239(7) of the Goa Panchayat Raj Act uses the unfounded word ‘Special’– needs an urgent rectification to the original description of ‘Spatial’, Martins said.
According to the GBA, due to absence of the word ‘spatial’ in the Goa Panchayati Raj Act, the State faces a crisis of top-down random, individualistic and dangerous planning with unconstitutional amendments such as 17(2) and 39A, under the Town and Country Planning (TCP) Act, enabling rapid ‘spot-zone’ land conversions without public awareness or involvement.
The GBA has impressed upon the South Goa MP the importance and urgency of bringing this up at the Centre and the State.The need to focus on making such changes to align with the Constitution with respect to self-governance, peoples participation in allocation and planning their resources, along with revocation of corrupt-destructive enablers that deliberately keep people out of ‘Spatial’ planning.