IPB Act, changes TCP Act only to benefit builders: AAP

Says decision on contesting will be taken in March

THE GOAN NETWORK | JANUARY 17, 2016, 12:00 AM IST

IPB Act, changes TCP Act only to benefit builders: AAP

Says decision on contesting will be taken in March

THE GOAN NETWORK

PANAJI

The Aam Aadmi Party in Goa has accused the government of subversion of local laws to benefit the corporate builder lobby in the form of the IPB Act, the amendments to the TCP Act as well as the sham process called the correction of the Regional Plan.

“The current BJP-led government is working at breakneck speed to dismantle and threaten the very icons of Goan identity, while having no ideas or vision for sustaining and promoting our indigenous traditions, occupations and culture,” AAP national secretary Pankaj Gupta who is down in the State told media persons at a press conference.

“The most flagrant attack on Goan identity are the consistent, systematic and even unconstitutional subversions of laws by successive governments to facilitate land grabbing and promote unsustainable concretisation in the name of development, all for the sole benefit of private lobbies and at the cost of local populace, ecology and culture,” he said.

On the Investment Promotion Board issue, Gupta hit out at current Union Defence Minister and former chief minister of Goa Manohar Parrikar for failing to do anything on the Regional Plan even as he “created the most draconian institution in the form of the Investment Promotion Board, which illegally and unconstitutionally usurps powers of panchayats, TCP, PDAs, etc, and overrides any and all applicable laws governing land-use such as Regional Plan, ODPs, Building codes, Land revenue codes etc.”

He also spoke against the eco-tourism projects in protected eco-sensitive zones, without proper guidelines or details.

“What was the unusual hurry that an eco-tourism ordinance had to be passed? This has now been made into law in the recent winter session, which appears to have been a special winter session of destruction,” Gupta said.

“If we have the confidence of the people that that we can win, we will contest elections,” he said.

BOX:

AAP National Secretary Pankaj Gupta said that the party wasn’t interesting in contesting the State assembly elections if it didn’t find the right candidates.

“We will take a decision by March. If we aren’t in a position to take a decision by March, we might as well not take a decision. We will not contest the elections for the sake of contesting. If we contest, we contest to win and form a government,” Gupta said.

He said that the process for creating a groundswell support has started in certain constituencies like that of Benaulim and Aldona where the reception has been more than they expected.

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