Team Herald
MARGAO: The Margao and Ponda ODP has now kicked up a storm with political leaders and their parties, NGOs and citizens, municipal offices and councillors demanding scrapping changes in the ODP. The problem has just intensified for the SGPDA after the Lokayukta sent notices to SGPDA to file a reply and now a Public Interest Litigation demanding a stay on the ODP 2026 has been filed at the Goa bench of Bombay HC.
So who is demanding what and why is the question that remains in the entire ODP mess. The SGPDA meeting, scheduled to be held on December 23, faces storm clouds, with the MMC and the PMC, cutting across party lines, in no mood to allow the passing of the ODP, without hearing them
While the political parties and their representatives have made allegations of corruption against the SGPDA Chairman Mauvin Godinho and charged that the Margao & Ponda ODP
was a political stunt of the BJP government before the elections, the NGOs though have nailed all, including local MLAs, Chairman of SGPDA, MMC, Sub-Committee members and also the builder and developer lobbies of Margao, as accused in the entire case.
Meanwhile, hearings were held after the notice period for objections and suggestions ended and later the plan was out. However, the game began after this.
Residents of Aquem in November complained of Aquem ground being entirely shown as Commercial Zone quickly followed by activists asking stopping of the ODP finalisation. The MMC and all the 3 MLAs of Fatorda, Margao and Ponda also jumped the bandwagon and wanted the ODP be stopped. even though they are members of the Authority Committee of PDA.
“The Margao, Fatorda & Ponda MLA, along with the Chairperson of MMC and PMC are the members of the Authority committee. Now, all of them coming up and saying that this plan is only of land conversions is bizarre as it has already been discussed before them during the earlier meets” alleged Sriram Raiturkar, a RTI Activist.
Ashish Kamat of United Goans’ Front who has filed the petition against the ODP said, “The City Development Plan (CDP) which was supposed to be prepared in 2010 as per directions of TCP dept under Digambar Kamat Govt, when Mauvin again was Chairman hasn’t been prepared yet,” said UGF. “Secondly, no inputs from MMC, PWD, WRD, Communidade, CRZ, Konkan railway have been taken. All modifications carried out against TCP act and this is Arbitrary conversion” alleged UGF.
The present scenario on the ODP 2026 is that the demand of all may be the same but the NGOs have the land use and faulty planning on target and the politicians and council have the election on target to disallow the ODP. In a nutshell, the Madgaonkars are bound to be made to wait in a queue to see the historic ODP 2026 being passed.
The meeting is now scheduled for December 23 and the Member secretary of SGPDA anticipating problems at the office has asked for police protection on that day.
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CASE STUDY
AUG 26, 2016: The ODP of Margao area was opened by the SGPDA for 60 days to file objections and suggestions.
OCT 18: The Fatorda Block Congress after having studied the ODP of Margao 2026 claimed to have observed many discrepancies in the plan with respect to ground realities and demanded that the plan not be finalised till a Development plan be approved in accordance with the Section 184F of municipality act.
OCT 21: Objection to Draft Outline Development Plan for
Margao Planning Area – 2026 in connection with the reservation of the Costa Ground as a Commercial Zone in the Draft ODP was been filed by concerned residents of Aquem on Friday.
OCT 25: The United Goans Foundation filed objection and demanded scrapping of changes to the ODP as the same was not done with a Comprehensive Development Plan between the MMC and the SGPDA.
OCT 26: Councillor of Comba area filed objection to conversion of a massive agriculture area in Comba having slated for conversion to settlement allegedly for rehabilitation of 16 houses on the ring road.
