PANJIM: The State government has received 5,800 fresh suggestions and comments for undertaking rectification of the controversial Regional Plan 2021 (RP21), with the last date for submitting the public inputs ending on Monday. There are another 3,500 suggestions, received during the earlier public consultation, which would be also considered by the government while finalising the plan.
Announcing to finalise the plan taluka-wise, Deputy Chief Minister and Minister for Town and Country Planning (TCP) Francis D’Souza ruled out possibility of scrapping the land plan and said the RP would be finalised and notified taluka-wise. “We have received public views. Wherever required, we will hold public hearings. We want the entire plan to be finalised by April 1,” he said.
TCP had opened the land plan for fresh public suggestions and comments on December 1 to make necessary rectifications. The deadline was extended to January 18, following public pressure.
“We have received over 5,800 applications from the general public, which includes individuals, NGOs, village panchayats, etc,” Chief Town Planner ST Puttaraju said, adding that all the applications would be now classified under various categories like those demanding scrapping, or denotifying of plan, zonal changes, issues like road width, etc.
During the last exercise in 2011, when the plan had been kept open for the public, the TCP had received 3,500 suggestions and objections. Around 166 panchayats had also submitted their inputs for correction of the finally notified RP21 while 15 had demanded the plan be scrapped.
“The earlier 3,500 applications would be also reconsidered afresh,” he said. All together over 9,300 applications would be referred to the State Level Scrutiny Committee headed by Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar for consideration and recommendation. Putturaju said the government will have to work out criteria to process all the applications for rectification.
All 185 panchayats and nine municipal councils are notified under RP21. The plan of each taluka was notified from a period from November 25, 2010 to October 20, 2011.
