Margao, Fatorda ODPs to be redrafted

The ODP of Margao and Fatorda is slated to be completely redone after the change of guard of the SGPDA and the State Government.

The previous ODP draft of Margao and Fatorda was flatly rejected by the Goa Forward Party, MLA Digamber Kamat and also the Ponda MLA alleging of no consultation with the local bodies. The Goa Forward Party, now in the ruling alliance, plans to redo the entire exercise of the ODP Draft in consultation of the local bodies.

Allegations of major land conversions in the Draft were made and an NGO had approached the High Court to stall the same. The High Court then stopped the ODP as it found the accusations of the petitioner prima facie true.

The new authority has paid special attention to the factors like parking problems and its solutions through the ODP, preservation of heritage structures and areas starting from Old Market area and extending the same to the entire jurisdiction.

The newly appointed SGPDA Chairman Renuka D’Silva has spoken of protecting and rejuvenating the Heritage of the town. “There are several green belts in the Margao town especially the Monte Hills which are the oxygen regenerators of the town and will be protected in the ODP,” said Renuka.

While the SGPDA now enters the stage of redoing the ODP the clouds over the bifurcation of even the SGPDA is being hinted. The SGPDA has decided to start the process of the Margao and Ponda ODPs afresh.

The High Court too has disposed the application filed by the United Goans Foundation (UGF) to halt the Margao and Ponda Outline Development Plan following the affidavit of SGPDA of starting the process of ODPs afresh.

The PIL had contended that the Comprehensive Development Plan which was supposed to be prepared in 2010 as per directions of TCP. They had also contended that no inputs from MMC, PWD, WRD, Comunidade, CRZ, Konkan railway were taken.

With the commitment to change the ODP lies a huge task of data collection and compilation for the said exercise and experts have suggested that the same may take years together now for completion