Is the much-hyped Margao Master Plan 2041 now long forgotten by the government and the powers that be, or is the government simply in no mood to seek public feedback and suggestions before finalising the plan?
The question has come to the fore since nothing has been heard in the corridors of the Margao Municipal Council (MMC) for over a year after the government reluctantly held a PowerPoint presentation on June 19, 2025.
Consider this: Following the presentation by Mumbai-based consultant Studio Pod on June 19 last year, which ended in an uproar with citizens from various sections of society pointing out several shortcomings in the plan, the consultant had agreed to hold public interactions in all municipal wards before preparing a draft plan.
It has now been 15 months since the consultant made the presentation at the MMC hall on June 19, 2025. Yet, the promised ward-level interactions and consultants with citizens and members of the public are still to take place, for reasons that remain unexplained.
This has raised a larger question: Has the government abandoned the Margao Master Plan 2041, or is it merely buying time to avoid a public backlash ahead of the upcoming polls and revive the plan after the 2027 elections?
Officials of the Goa State Urban Development Agency (GSUDA), the agency that engaged the Mumbai-based consultant to prepare the master plan, have also been unable to shed light on the fate of the Margao Master Plan 2041.
The Master Plan for Margao city was first unveiled with much fanfare on January 17, 2024, when the Mumbai-based consultant made a PowerPoint presentation to the city fathers. However, the presentation received a lukewarm response from the councillors, with barely nine of the 25 municipal councillors attending the meeting.
The plan later became embroiled in controversy after the consultant, at the government's behest, made another PowerPoint presentation to a select gathering. While the government defended the move on the grounds that the presentation was meant for city’s professionals, including architects and town planners, citizens criticised the exercise, alleging that it was conducted primarily for the benefit of real estate developers.
The controversy did not end there. The plan came under closer scrutiny after citizens found that it included proposals for the development of parcels of land acquired by GSUDA nearly two decades ago — including properties near the wholesale fish market, close to the Court building and the land opposite the Margao railway station.
The Mumbai-based consultant also came under fire after questions were raised over its decision to skip discussion on the commercial proposals envisaged for these GSUDA-acquired properties.
At the PowerPoint presentation held on June 19, 2025, the consultant spoke at length about the salient features of the Margao Master Plan 2041. However, there was no mention of the proposed commercial exploitation of the GSUDA-acquired properties scattered across the city.
