Team Herald
PANJIM: The five-member expert panel, constituted to inquire into the alleged illegal conversions of land by politicians in the guise of Regional Plan 2021, has recommended the need to revisit the rationalisation policy adopted for release or withdrawal of developable zones under the land use document as this has brought doubts in people’s mind.
The Committee, while opining that the government should adopt transparent guidelines for rationalisation policy, observed that several changes of zone requests had been made as per planning process, by following due process at the time of preparation of RP21.
The government has decided to consider the recommendations made by the committee and to also place the findings before the Legislative Assembly for detailed discussion and a way forward.
The expert panel concluded its probe in the absence of documents to substantiate the allegations levied by Goencho Avaaz at a public meeting in April. The NGO had named 14 politicians, including TCP Minister Vijai Sardesai, for illegal land conversions.
The NGO failed to provide evidence to substantiate their allegation, but through a memorandum demanded that the government stay the operation of RP21 immediately and that no permission be granted based on RP21.
“Committee observed that several changes of zone requests had been made as per planning process, by following due process at the time of preparation of RP21,” the report stated.
“However, it was observed that in addition to this, an additional so called rationalisation policy was adopted which needs to be revisited, in principle, as the release or withdrawal of developable zones under this policy has resulted into doubts in people’s mind,” it stated.
“The resentment from people was due to several insertions and change of zone, as finalised and needed to have transparent guidelines while adopting such rationalization policy,” it opined.
Speaking to reporters, TCP Minister Vijai Sardesai said he is studying the report and will consider all the observations made by the committee and will give the weight-age it deserves. “Rationalisation policy is something that the committee has put light on. We will have to consider this but on the Floor of the House,” he said.
He said that since the demand to put in operation the RP21 was made on the floor of the House by Congress, let the rationalisation issue be also discussed and debated in the Assembly. “Injustice to the parties who were already beneficiaries of 2001 plan and who are now been kept out of 2021 plan as the fallout of the rationalisation policy. All this has to be addressed,” the Minister said.
Sardesai added that any amendment to the TCP Act to strengthen the planning process can be considered on the floor of the House.
