MAPUSA
Likening the urban status to Calangute to the ongoing second phase of destruction, Calangute Constituency Forum on Saturday said the urban tag will lead to the destruction of the coastal village and demanded the local panchayat to oppose the move and call for its immediate de-notification.
“While ODP 2025 was the first phase of destruction of Calangute, urban status is the second phase which will completely destroy the pristine village. Calangute will lose its identity with the urban status. The village panchayat’s priority should be to protect the interest of the people,” said Premanand Diukar, President of Calangute Constituency Forum (CCF).
The CCF chief was addressing a news conference at a tree plantation and distribution function held at the Dolphin Circle, Calangute. CCF members Benedict D’Souza, Lourence Silveira, Augustine D’Costa and others were also present.
Continuing, Diukar said the urbanisation will lead to massive concretisation, ultimately destroying the charm of the village-look of Calangute.
“Urbanisation means an increase in FAR and no restrictions for vertical development. At the moment we are classified under CRZ 3 while urban tag will bring CRZ 2 regulation which will benefit the hoteliers. Secondly, NDZ which is 200 metres now will be reduced to 50 metres once the urban tag sets in,” he said.
He further said that with the urban status the village will no longer be governed by the Panchayat Raj Act but by the Municipality Act and people of the village will not get any say in matters of their village.
“There won’t be any gram sabhas. The government officers will decide what we require and what not,” he said.
Diukar sought to remind how the government was forced to denotify the urban status to 56 villages including Calangute last time due to the opposition of the public.
He said the present notification of imposing urban status on Calangute cannot come without the knowledge of the local MLA.
The CCF President welcomed the local MLA Michael Lobo’s statement to withdraw the notification but wanted it to be followed by action.
“People don’t want to hear political statements from the Calangute MLA but action to denotify the village back to a rural area,” he said.
