PANJIM: The North Goa Planning and Development Authority (NGPDA) will move the Goa government seeking approval to put up the outline development plans (ODPs) of Panjim, Candolim and Calangute for public suggestions and objections. Currently, it has placed Mapusa and Taleigao ODPs for public review for a month.
At a meeting on Thursday, Panjim MLA Siddharth Kuncalienkar pointed out various wrongly marked zones in the Panjim ODPs prompting rectification. “Places where buildings are existing for decades are shown as open spaces. Likewise, green areas are shown as settlement zones. The discrepancies could have emerged inadvertently but rectification is needed,” he said at a press briefing after the meeting.
Kuncalienkar, who figured out the errors in the ODPs added he had also received a number of complaints from the locals.
NGPDA Chairman Michael Lobo said that Candolim and Calangute ODPs contain a number of mistakes, including the wrongly mentioned road widths. “We want two parking lots for Candolim like the ones at Calangute and Baga. Besides, if a vacant plot is identified, we would want to use it to construct a market for Candolim residents, sewerage plant and other recreational facilities,” he added.
NGPDA has also deferred its meeting to appoint a committee for Taleigao and Mapusa ODPs since the Taleigao legislator and Mapusa Municipal Council’s chairperson were not present at the meeting on Thursday. The next meeting is now slated for July 10.
Meanwhile, government plans to keep the ODPs of Vasco, Ponda, Fatorda, Margao, Mormugao for public views, suggestions and objections.
To avoid parking chaos particularly in the capital, NGPDA has contemplated to grant free FAR (floor area ratio) to upcoming buildings for constructing an extra floor, provided it is exclusively allotted for parking.
