PANJIM: Terming the opening of the Regional Plan 2021 (RP21) for fresh public inputs a ‘political exercise’, the Congress on Tuesday reiterated its demand to de-notify RP21 and initiate a fresh process to draft a new land plan in public consultation, keeping 2001 RP as the base plan.
Addressing the media, Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) spokesperson Agnelo Fernandes slammed the BJP-led government for its failure to fulfill the 2012 election promise to scrap the controversial RP21, which according to the saffron party, was a move by the then Congress government to protect the interests of the builder lobbies and land sharks. “We now demand that BJP fulfill its promise and de-notify RP21,” he demanded.
“BJP should respect the sentiments of the people, who voted them to power over their promise to scrap RP21 and draft a new plan taking all stakeholders into confidence,” the former MLA said, adding that the government should not make people feel that they too are protecting the interest of land sharks.
GPCC spokesperson Adv Yatish Naik recalled that BJP’s promise had been mirrored in the speech by then Governor K Sankaranarayanan, addressing the budget session of the Goa Assembly on March 19, 2012. “My government will denotify the Regional Plan 2021 and formulate one in due consultation with all stakeholders,” Naik said, quoting the governor.
He said that the speech was voted by the House and thereby the assurance on the Floor of the House attains legislative sanctity, much higher than that of the Cabinet.
