The Act was recently implemented by the State government to attract investment and industry.
At a meeting held in Panjim under the banner of Human Rights Law Network-Goa (HRLN), the IPB and the Regional Plan were discussed and according to experts both issues are linked. The meeting, moderated by advocate Caroline D’Souza on behalf of HRLN, was attended by members of the Goa Bachao Abhiyan, Citizens Group of Goa, activists, experts, common people and various village level NGOs.
Activists brought up the fact that the IPB Act overrides the TCP Act which is not in favor of Goa and Goans. The meeting also discussed that certain conditions by which the board should abide by are violated while approving projects.
“The decision of the IPB cannot be challenged in court as per its constitution. We don’t want to take to the streets, we have to attack by collecting evidence and approaching the appropriate court,” GBA member Reboni Saha said.
Anand Madgonkar, Prajal Sakhardande, Edwin Fernandes, Zarina D’Cunha, Domnic Noronha, John Fernandes and others demanded that the IPB be scrapped and this was later unanimously adopted by the group. The entire group claimed IPB is a disaster for Goa.
The meeting also resolved to amend the TCP Act immediately so that there can be peoples’ participation in the RP and resolved to map comunidade and tenanted land in RP 2021.
Further action on the issues will be decided on Thursday at another meeting to be held in Panjim. The meeting will take a call on the RP movement as some NGOs and people have demanded that the plan be scrapped but GBA has objected to it citing reasons which are currently accepted by HRLN.
The next meeting will take a final call over RP as January 18 is the last date to submit suggestions on the plan to the government.
