PANAJI
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant finally broke his silence on the controversy surrounding withdrawal of Bills, especially the Goa Town and Country Planning (Amendment and Validation) Bill 2024.
Speaking during the Head On programme on Prudent TV, Sawant admitted that lack of coordination between the TCP and the Law Department resulted in errors in drafting the bill and hence it had to be withdrawn considering public sentiments too.
“There was a lack of coordination between TCP and the Law Department. If they had to follow each other's views or observations …if TCP had to follow the observations made by the Law Department in the draft bill... then there would not have been an issue. The lack of coordination resulted in poor drafting of the bill,” Sawant said.
“Some bills came in hurry…Law Department should have studied those bills thoroughly before granting its nod… the Department failed in making proper observations …they were introduced in that format only and hence we had to withdraw them,” he added.
The controversial bill aimed to protect the TCP against judicial scrutiny of land conversions under the ODPs and take powers of planning and development authorities (PDAs) in case the ODPs are withdrawn.
This is the first time the Chief Minister spoke on the issue since the time the bills were withdrawn and had raised several doubts with regards to rift within the ruling dispensation.
The decision to withdraw the bill came after a significant difference of opinion among Cabinet members and even party leaders raising the issue.
There were four other bills that were also withdrawn- Goa Clinical Establishment (Registration and Regulation Amendment) Bill, Goa Municipalities (amendment) bill, City of Panaji corporation (amendment) bill and Goa Industrial development (amendment) bill.
