MARGAO
Kaun Banega SGPDA Chairman? For Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, the coveted PDA Chairman’s post may come in handy to accommodate party MLAs from down South missing the Cabinet bus. Many a politicos, however may have set their eyes on the post, but for a different reason “ the new Chairman and the Authority will get the opportunity to preside over the ongoing process to take the Outline Development Plan (ODP) for Margao and Ponda to its logical conclusion.
The South Goa Planning and Development Authority (SGDPA) has a history of politicians heading the planning body over the years. Barring an exception or two when an apolitical person had headed the body in the past, political appointees presiding over the affairs of the Planning body has been a rule than an exception in recent years.
Take note, the SGPDA may have the jurisdiction over the planning areas of Margao Municipal Council and the Ponda Municipal limits, but MLAs and political heavyweights from outside the Margao and Ponda areas had headed the planning body in the past.
Ex-chairperson, Congress-turned-BJP MLA Wilfred D’Sa, who had quit the ruling party, to contest the just concluded Assembly election as an Independent, had put in his papers as the SGDPA chairperson just before the polls. The Town & Country Planning Secretary is presently holding the charge of the SGPDA chairperson. Wilfred aka Babashan D’Sa was appointed the SGPDA Chairperson by the government, apparently to reward him for being part of the 10-member group of Congress MLAs, who had quit the Congress to embrace the saffron party.
The post of SGDPA Chairperson has become the talking point in political circles as the Pramod Sawant-government is expected do a tightrope walk on induction of members into his Cabinet and accommodate the aspirations of left out party MLAs and supporting members.
Of the three MLAs representing Margao, Fatorda and Ponda constituencies, which form part of SGPDA planning areas, the Lotus has bloomed only in Ponda with heavyweight Ravi Naik retaining the seat on the BJP banner. The Margao and Fatorda seats were retained by the Congress and Goa Forward respectively.
Sources say Ravi’s appointment as the SGDPA may be ruled out if he is inducted in the Cabinet, given his seniority as well as his status as a senior leader of the Bhandari Samaj. In the emerging situation, the ruling party may have to zero down on the PDA Chairman amongst the party MLAs from down South.
Incidentally, the BJP has a lone MLA elected from Salcete Ulhas Tuemkar, who represents the neighbouring constituency of Navelim. It, however, remains to be seen whether the party will reward Ulhas with the coveted post or the ruling dispensation prefers to rehabilitate party MLAs from outside Salcete, who do not find a berth in the Pramod Sawant Cabinet.
With speculations rife that Goa Forward chief Vijai Sardesai may join the BJP-led government at a later stage, observers are trying to figure out whether the Fatorda MLA will insist on having his men heading the Planning body. Incidentally, when Sardesai was presiding over the TCP portfolio in the BJP-led government, he had got his close aide and Goa Forward President Dr Renuka D’Silva head the SGPDA body.
Amongst the politicians who had presided over the SGDPA in the past includes former MLAs, Anton Gaunkar, Vijay Pai Khot, Ramrao Desai, Shyam Satardekar, Mauvin Godinho and Wilfred D’Sa.
New PDA chief will have task cut out on Margao, Ponda ODP finalisation
