The Holistic Master Plan, a brainchild of ex- Chief Minister and Panjim MLA Manohar Parrikar – which had aimed to change the image of capital city, seems to be forgotten by the Corporation of the City of Panjim (CCP) and also by the State Government.
When queried about the status of the master plan, CCP Mayor Shubham Chodankar said, “Now we have a number of plans which includes all the facilities and services mentioned in the master plan, so therefore we should focus on these plans rather than the master plan.”
An open-air mall in the city centre, biodiversity parks and cycle routes around the capital city were the key features of the master plan, Parrikar had unveiled the plan in 2013. However after that, the files never moved ahead and no funds came in to execute the plan.
A team from LKS Global, with representatives of LKS India had studied Panjim’s problem areas and had worked out a holistic master plan. The plan dealt with mobility, utilities, green and public spaces, heritage and city branding. The only progress of the plan was that it was opened for public domain, following which the plan was in vain.
Though Panjim city is a picturesque one with beaches, canals, a river and the ocean, the beauty has not remained the same. The Capital city of Goa is becoming yet another high decibel, polluted city. However, to deal with this matter, Panjim is burdened with ample number of plans and policies, but all are yet to be implemented.
City Sanitation Plan, City Development Plan, AMRUT, JNNURM and now the Smart City Concept are the proposed strategies by the State, Centre and the local governing body for the betterment of the city, but none have been put into practice. However, Mayor Chodankar says these plans are ‘supper master plans’ for Panjim.
“City Sanitation Plan, City Development Plan, Smart City Concept, AMRUT, etc are important plans which should be emphasised on. These plans are ‘supper master plans’ for Panjim,” he said.
The City Sanitation plan; drafted by management consultancy and engineering firm Royal Haskoning DHV had outlined detailed recommendation and suggestions to tackle sanitation in Panjim city for the next 35 years. Meanwhile, the City Development Plan aimed to develop the infrastructure of the capital city. However both the plans are yet to be implemented.
In the meantime, under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM), the Corporation of the City of Panjim received Rs. 17 lakh from the central government. However the Corporation was forced to back track on the funds as the CCP failed to make the best use of it.
AMRUT and Smart City Concept are now new initiatives by the central government which are likely to grant funds for the city for the sake of development. However it is up to the Corporation and State Government to determine how well the benefits are derived from centrally sponsored schemes.
Adding to the woes of the city, the Miramar Dona Paul road which was once a smooth four lane road has been turned into a pit, as rigorous digging of the road has not come to an end even after two years of construction. Meanwhile, the recent digging of the city roads has resulted in patches; forcing commuters to experience a bumpy ride free of cost.
