PANAJI: The process of inviting suggestions to the notified Regional Plan (RPG-2021) has not gone down well with the Council for Social Justice and Peace (CSJP), terming it as a "mockery of the democratic process".
In a statement released to the media, executive secretary of CSJP Fr Savio Fernandes demanded keeping in abeyance of the regional plan until the Town and Country Planning Act for Goa is reformulated wherein constitutional space to the local self-governments is granted in the planning process as envisaged in the 73rd and 74th Constitution Amendment.
“The decision of the Goa Government to initiate a consultative process on the RPG-2021 does not have any legally defined parameters and safeguards to ensure that no manipulation can be undertaken by the Town and Country Planning Board as has been the case in the past,” Fr Fernandes said.
“The Town and Country Planning Act, 1975 is archaic and obsolete in the aftermath of the 73rd and 74th Constitution Amendments. In such a situation it can only be expected that the Government is not serious in scientific planning but keeping loopholes to go round in circles and engage the public in a futile exercise,” the CSJP said adding that in consultation with a couple of reputed town planners of this country in 2010 had presented to the Government of Goa a ‘Model Goa Development Planning Act’ for consideration.
The CJSP also lambasted the State government for not being serious about doing justice to the regional planning process.
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VILLAGE GROUPS CALL
FOR DE-NOTIFICATION
* The Village Groups of Goa (VVG) has once again demanded the de-notification of what it termed as fraudulent 2021 RP
* The VVG has also demanded that arbitrary inclusions which are out of the planning parameters be sent to respective villages to be approved by gram sabhas
>> See page 2
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STICK TO PROMISE:
CONGRESS TO GOVT
Goa Pradesh Congress Committee has urged the Goa government to stick to its repeated promise of denotifying RP 21 and drawing up a new plan based on the draft plan and on RP 2001
The assurance was highlighted in the governor’s address in 2012 and that in 2014, former Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar reiterated the assurance, the Cogress said
>> See pg 3
