Team Herald

PANJIM: Welcoming the decision of Town and Country Planning (TCP) Minister Vishwajit Rane to scrap the amendments to the Goa Land Development and Building Construction Regulations and all the cases under 16B of the TCP Act, the Goa Bachao Abhiyan (GBA) demanded that the preparation of the new Regional Plan with new perspectives should begin in real earnest.

GBA convenor Sabina Martins said that it had inwarded its 26 objections and suggestions to Amendments 3 to 17 with regards to the Goa Land Development and Building Construction Regulations, table and annexures. The GBA technical team drew up the document given to the TCP after discussions and inputs from concerned planners, architects, lawyers and social activists.

Saluting the people of Goa for raising their voices and standing up to save Goa, Martins said that the need for eternal vigilance is a must and unitedly it is possible to attain it. The GBA awaits the oral pronouncements of scrapping amendments to translate into the requisite legal notifications. Section 16 B of the TCP Act, which is primarily responsible for large illegalities, should be addressed once and for all and not just the cases under it, she added.

The GBA has called for the separation of Development Control Rules that were merged with building by-laws, which had resulted in unacceptable proposals in the plan and hence the Amendments had to be scrapped.

While the TCP Minister indicated that he would talk to the MLAs on the subject, he is yet to respond to the GBA’s request for a meeting to give a presentation on the impact of the amendments and suggestions for planning to keep the interest of Goa in the changing scenario of climate change and sustainable development, the GBA convenor said.

The GBA has hoped that the government will ensure the participation of people in planning by making legal provisions in the Act as the first step for the pro-common people and pro-Goa Regional Plan.