TEAM HERALD
PANJIM: The process of drafting Regional plan 2030 will have an element of “Goenkarponn” in it with Town and country planning (TCP) department intending to include local architects and civil engineers in the panels that would suggest the future land use plan.
“A section of Goan population which needs to be brought on board to plan a new Goa which will create the Goan brand of development. The Goan brand of development should have Goan ethos. I advice the civil engineers that they should advice their clients that they cannot create Delhi in Goa, they have to create a new Goa, which will be firm on its roots,” TCP Minister Vijai Sardesai said.
He divulged that civil engineers of the State have some issues with regards to supervision and certificate which they give on structure stability, both of which are clubbed together. This is not in lines with the National Building Code that stated it should not be clubbed together. “I have said we are going to look at their issue on lines with national building code. We are also in the process of planning a regional plan where inputs from every section of society is required but more so from those Goenkars who are supposed to cleverly devise the future like the civil engineers,” the minister said.
“I have also instructed South Goa Planning & Development Authority and its chairman has also made a statement that Institute of Indian Architects (Goa Chapter) will be taken on board to make draft ODP for South PDA and Regional Plan. We should take these people into confidence because they are Goenkars,” he added.
He went on to state that everything they say need not be accepted but they should be brought on board and government should eventually decide and create a consensus approach.
“Maximum effort is to preserve Goan ethos of architecture. How it is going to be done should come from them also. I cannot tell a very modern building to look old because then it would be undermining the very architectural looks of that project. The permissions for buildings will be based on new ODP. Whatever that has happened is past commitment but planning the future we will take everyone along,” he assured.
