the goan I network
PANAJI
Goa Pradesh Congress Committee general secretary and spokesperson Agnel Fernandes on Tuesday alleged that the Calangute-Candolim Outline Development Plan (ODP) is a scam which could stretch to the scale of Rs 300 to 400 crore.
Speaking at Congress House, Fernandes stated, “Around 25,000 sq mts of No Development Zone and 4,000 to 5,000 sq mts of fields have been converted under the ODP in Candolim alone. This is a scam of around Rs 300 crore to 400 crore. No local will benefit from the Planning and Development Authority (PDA) which is about to be set up here.”
Fernandes alleged that the coalition government has granted Calangute MLA and Deputy Speaker Michael Lobo’s request for the new PDA as a “chocolate”.
“Lobo has been given Parra and Candolim as a chocolate because Greater Panaji was taken away from him,” the Congress general secretary claimed while expressing the fear that the PDA will be used by Lobo to make money by regularizing illegalities committed by non-local builders.
Congress questioned the need for establishment of separate villages including Calangute, Candolim and Parra even while the gram sabhas of these panchayats have opposed the plan vociferously.
“Why do villages like Parra need a PDA? PDAs are only for builders,” Fernandes said.
He further warned the government that citizens of Calangute constituency will come out on the road and that Congress will seek legal recourse if the PDA is imposed on the villagers against their wishes.
Former Parra sarpanch Benedict D’Souza expressed worry over the sweeping powers enjoyed by the PDAs.
“There will be more multi-storied buildings, more concrete, more congestion and traffic, dilution of local votebank and marginalization of the villagers. Lobo is bulldozing the PDA for his own business interests,” he said.
Agnelo Barretto, who was instrumental in formulating the Regional Plan for Candolim area, sought to point out that the new ODP is in blatant violation of Coastal Regulation Zone, Eco-Sensitive Zone as well as the No Development Zone.
