PANJIM: Demanding that a new Regional Plan be prepared to address the increasing demand of the State, the Opposition said that the Regional Plan 2021 has outlived its validity.
Speaking during discussion on demands for grants for Town and Country Planning, Municipal Administration, Women and Child Development and Forests for the current fiscal year in the legislative Assembly, Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai said, “We are in the middle of 2024 and demand of the State has increased. Many new areas and cities have developed. There is a need to adjust them. It is important that a new Regional Plan is prepared.”
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“Fatorda has become a rural-urban constituency, but it is a city and coming under planning area. If Fatorda is a city then I do not understand why Calangute is not a city or Porvorim is not a city or Taleigao is not a city. Why is the government shirking away from declaring more cities? There was a time when the State had only four cities namely Margao, Mapusa, Panjim and Vasco but today Ponda is part of the planning area. Why not declare the above as municipal councils?,” he asked.
Vijai also clarified that when he was Minister, he had to bring Section 16 (B) of TCP Act, only to give justice to those whose huge strata lands were erroneously reclassified from settlement to Orchard. He said that during his tenure, of the 32 cases, 18 cases of religious institutions were approved. But subsequently this section was misused from 2019 and a whopping 7,800 cases were approved, he said, adding that he had to oppose the section, which was later withdrawn.
Vijai said there is a need to notify private forests after finalising them else there will be legal issues.
He pointed out that around Rs one crore has been spent for not declaring Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary as Tiger Reserve in spite of a High Court order.
He said, “From the year 2019 to 2024, the Forest Department has issued permission to cut around 70, 142 trees in the State, and in return, 2, 7,737 trees were supposed to be planted, but currently 91,000, which is only per cent of the trees, are alive. So even if the trees have been planted, they have died,” he said.
The Fatorda MLA pointed out that NGOs running shelter homes for women are to be paid huge amounts of money by the Women and Child Development Department. He also pointed out that not a single suo motu case has been registered by the Women and Child Commission.
He also pointed out that Griha Aadhar beneficiaries are not being paid on time and same is the situation of Ladli Laxmi beneficiaries. He said anganwadi workers too are not being paid on time.
Vijai pointed out that 250 cameras have been installed in the capital city of Panjim at the cost of Rs 250 crore by Imagine Panaji Smart. He asked what the government is doing to recover Rs 38 crore by the Margao Municipal Council.
However, Minister Vishwajit Rane said it does not come under his ministries as the IPSCDL is an independent body.
