PANJIM: Indian Institute of Architects – Goa Chapter stated that opening of the Regional Plan 2021 has been done without holding any technical consultation on the same.
“Such an exercise should have preceded the opening up of the plan for public viewing and suggestion. The parameters of such consultative process should be clearly defined or laid down in terms of personal level observations, public amenities and requirements and governments policy in terms of thrust of development for a sustainable plan,” said a press note issued by IIA – Goa chairman Manguesh R Prabhugaonker.
He said that while in the past, this exercise seems to have been done with elaborate bottom up consultative process, apparently yielding desirable results, it is not clear how repetition of the same, if at all, is going to take the agenda forward for an acceptable plan to all the stakeholders and public at large.
IIA – Goa recommends a way forward approach to the Goa Regional Plan 2021, with a vision for the State that reflects avenues of growth in multi-disciplinary sectors like generation of employment opportunities, sustainable and environment friendly infrastructure, review and challenges of existing layers of service industry like tourism, housing, agriculture and eco-based environment friendly avenues and other alternative futuristic growth oriented options at a regional scale maintaining the exclusive character and identity of Goa.
IIA recommends that the Town and Country Planning department needs to present a comprehensive plan to the people with holistically integrated all round economically balanced framework in all land uses and planning zones with well networked feasible infrastructure with a vision for Goa.
