TEAM HERALD
PANJIM: The draft master plan for the holistic development of Panjim was released Thursday for suggestions, after a presentation at Marquinez palace where the who’s who of government were present.
The plan prepared by consultant L K S India Private Limited, who were appointed by the Goa State Infrastructure Development Corporation, will include a mobility plan, biodiversity park, cycle route and even an open shopping mall in the middle of the city. The plan also inheres pedestrian roads and if incorporated Panjim would be the first city in the Country to have such roads. The consultants had begun the work in February 2013.
The draft master plan speaks about traffic management and mobility, heritage conservation and hydrology, the beautification of the St Inez creek and the storm water drains.
The plan looks at the development of Panaji under the jurisdiction of the Corporation of the City of Panaji and is said to include city water supply project that will include laying of new pipelines.
According to the GSIDC, discussions were held with representatives of Indian Institute of Architecture, Panjim residents and heads of government department.
Chief minister Manohar Parrikar in his 2012 budget speech had announced a master plan for the city and GSIDC were assigned the task of appointing a consultant to prepare the master plan. A tender was floated and around 26 consultants from across the world had bid for the project.
However, the plan had come under fire from CCP which was upset for not implementing the previous plan, saying that there is nothing new in this plan and the DPR planned by them had incorporated almost the same things.
“I found nothing new in this. Last year we saw these type of presentations four times,” mayor Surendra Furtado told media.
“The plan will include mostly roads, pavements, drains, upgradation of heritage areas like Fontainhas and Mala,” GSIDC MD, Sanjit Rodrigues had told Herald some time back. And that discussions with representatives of Indian Institute of Architecture, residents and heads of department were done while preparing the plan.
However, the Mayor told Herald that the CCP too has five DPRs ready and these are set to be placed before the State Level Committee, with funding set to come from the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission.
According to the GSIDC once the master plan is finalized, government and CCP will decide which work has to be taken up on a priority.
