RP-2021 copies not displayed for public despite extension of scrutiny period
MAPUSA
Call it irresponsibility or plain ignorance on the part of panchayat officials and elected panchayat members.
Three panchayats in Bardez failed to collect copies of the village Regional Plan 2021 (Settlement level plan) and display it in its respective panchayats for public viewing, even after the government extended the period of scrutiny.
The panchayats of Assonora, Ucassaim Paliem Punola and Nachinola failed to collect the Regional Plan till the last day.
“These three panchayats did not collect the Regional Plan from the taluka office. They have failed to display the plan in their respective panchayats for the public to come up with suggestions. All that I can say is that they have missed the bus,” said Vinod Kumar, Deputy Town Planner, Bardez.
Ten panchayats out of 31 had failed to collect the Regional Plan until January 1, 2016. Seven out of these 10 did so in the last six days, the deputy town planner informed.
Out of the total 33 panchayats in Bardez, Calangute and Candolim have not been included in the process of rectifying the village regional plans, as these two villages have been included in the PDA.
The deputy town planner also informed that some individuals had sent their suggestions and objections to the taluka office in Mapusa.
“We sent these requests back to the respective panchayats and asked them to forward it to the chief town planner in the TCP headquarters,” Vinod Kumar said.
The sarpanch and secretaries of panchayats and chief officers of municipal councils were requested to collect the RP-2021 of their areas from the respective taluka level TCP office.
The Regional Plan 2021 was first kept open for scrutiny for one month from December 1 to 31, 2015. The government later extended the period of scrutiny until January 18, 2016, following demands from cross sections of the society who said the time limit was not enough.
****
Siolim-Marna calls for scrapping of RP-2021
THE GOAN NETWORK
MAPUSA
The Siolim-Marna special gram sabha on the penultimate day of inviting suggestions and objections, called for scrapping of the Regional Plan 2021.
But the discussion and decision on the RP-2021 did not come easy for the residents of the village.
“The sarpanch and the secretary failed to convene a gram sabha even after numerous requests. They pleaded ignorance on the plan and tried every trick not to initiate any public response on the plan,” said Fatima Fernandes, who has been in the forefront in the village.
At the gram sabha, Fernandes pulled up the panchayat for delay in calling the special meeting to discuss the regional plan and accused the village level committee and panchayat of ignoring key issues while drafting the settlement level plan for the village.
Rejecting the draft plan submitted by the village level committee, she said the committee failed to point out eco-sensitive zones, ponds, fields, hills or even forests in the plan.
Alex Fernandes seconded her by stating that many suggestions were not considered in the draft plan.
Gregory D’Souza, who was the vice chairman of the then village level committee, said as per the guidelines given by the TCP, the committee carried out extensive exercise in every ward. All suggestions that were submitted to the VLC were recorded and incorporated, and a resolution was forwarded to TCP for the SLC to finalise the RP-2021.
The gram sabha then decided to form a new village level committee and appointed Estafania Pereira, Joseph Agnelo Noronha, Vigensh Chodankar, Parvesh Shirodkar, Anthony D'Souza, Col Abino Fernandes, Gilbert D’Souza, Nayaran Shirodkar and Sanju Shirodkar as members.
These members will be assisted by Fatima Fernandes, who volunteered to bring in the assistance of experts like Abhijeet Prabhudesai or Siddharth Karapurkar.
