ODPs are opposed with political motive: D’Souza

HERALD: Mr D’Souza, your party before coming to power had promised that the Regional Plan 2021 would be notified on priority but even four and half years later the commitment is yet to be fulfilled. Your view?
Francis D’Souza: Yes agreed, we had made a promise on notifying new Regional Plan. But you see, I took over the Town and Country Planning portfolio for the last two years and I tried to do maximum work. We are in finalising stage for two talukas of Sattari and Canacona another two Pernem and Quepem is also in pipeline.
HERALD: So the promise will remain unfulfilled, it will be the next term for Regional Plan?
D’Souza: Yes, everything cannot be done in one tenure. But we haven’t kept the development pending. Whatever is common in 2001 and 2021 is going through and as such nothing is stopped. Whatever is not common in 2001 and 2021 is stopped.
The past commitment of 2001 is still going through. Some people have even put buildings also in 2021, very few cases though, but they have done it.
HERALD: Recently there have been some protests over ODPs in Margao, Ponda and Panjim. Your opinion?
D’Souza: We have taken care of all statutory provisions. We have given notice period to the people but they did not file objection. Now after the end of statutory period of 60 days they come with women and block the PDA office. Is this correct? Where are your objections? You don’t file objections. You bring lay people and hold dharna who don’t even know what is ODP.
HERALD: So you mean to say all rules were followed by PDA?
D’Souza: These are politicians who have stakes in the ODP. Vijay Sardessai and Digambar Kamat are builders. They have stakes. Show me the objections. After 60 days they say want more time, why?
HERALD: But even the Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP) has refused to accept the Panjim ODP? What would be your next course of action?
D’Souza: I don’t know what is the future procedure it is for the NGPDA to look into the next course of action we’ll see let the time come. Even there the Mayor was part of the deliberation of ODP and he refuses to believe that. He is present there as part of the objection taking exercise and he says he was not there. It is all in black and white. This is all political.
HERALD:: You mean the ODPs are opposed just for political mileage?
D’Souza: Yes, this is not genuine, it is political otherwise they would take us to court. They know statutorily everything is done correctly My ODPs have followed all the procedures in rule book. They did not find fault with the rule book so they insist time is not enough. Before 60 days are over you say you need more time. These are senior politicians. Digambar is the ex chief minister.
HERALD: You have been in the government for four and-a-half-years and is said to be the second in command. How do you rate the performance of your government?
D’Souza: Second in command is notional but I am number two that is fact. I feel honestly in four-and-a-half years we have succeeded in fulfilling 70 per cent of our promises. So I think we have come out with a distinction. There are some issues that cannot be completed in 5 years. Like Mandovi Zuari bridges will go in next five years. Even some policy decision will take more time. But we tried to do maximum in five years.
HERALD: But the government has achieved a distinction of U-turn government. Your view?
D’Souza: There are no U-turns, tell me which are the U-turns we did. If you are talking about casinos we cannot terminate the leases as we cannot give them alternate places. Secondly, we require the money. We are in short supply of money for various reasons as we lost mining money of Rs 1500 cr per year. So we lost Rs 6000 cr in last 5 years. It is not a small amount. We are not been able to recover money from other areas. Casinos are become a necessary evil. We know we have to move them out but for some reasons we cannot. That is not the U-turn. It is a short term arrangement. We have to find a alternate way of doing it. But the fact remains is the party which has brought casinos is not being blamed.