Team Herald
MARGAO: Alleging that planning procedures followed in Goa currently are in gross violation of Indian Urban Development Guidelines, social activists have appealed to the Goan youth, besides professional organisations of town planners, architects and civil engineers in Goa to come out to protect the State.
Addressing a press conference at Margao on Tuesday, members of NGO Goyche Fuddle Pillge Khatir'(GFPK), and a few other activists called on the Goa government to stall the preparation of the Outline Development Plan (ODP) for various parts of Goa till the Perspective plan, Regional Plan and Development plan for Goa is prepared and put out in the public domain.
“The planning process, which has the hierarchy of the Perspective Plan for 20 to 30 years and Regional Plan for 5 to 20 years, is ignored completely. Instead, the entire focus is placed on the local plan,” said Jack Mascarenhas, President
of GFPK.
He said the government has announced preparation of ODP for Bardez and Tiswadi talukas, but the TCP Department’s attempt at making an ODP by ignoring the Central Urban Development Ministry Guidelines 2015, is a thorough mockery of the prescribed planning process.
“We call for an overhaul of the planning process and demand a Perspective Plan as required by the 2015 guidelines signed by then Urban Development Minister V. Naidu, without which we will cause irreversible damage to Goa’s environment,” said Mascarenhas.
