PANAJI: The Town and Country Board in its meeting scheduled for Wednesday, will take up the crucial issue of the Outline Development Plan 2025 of the Candolim and Calangute villages.
The plans, which are being opposed by a section of the villagers, are likely to be given the seal of approval by the Town and Country Planning Board with Town and Country Planning Minister Vijai Sardesai earlier declining to scrap the ODP for the two tourism villages.
The meeting to approve the plan was earlier postponed under pressure from the villagers.
On September 4, Sardesai had agreed to examine issues raised by the locals from the North Goa coastal belt and put off a discussion of outline development plan for Calangute-Candolim.
While the Town and Country Planning Minister buckled under pressure and denotified the Greater Panaji PDA after persistent protests especially by villagers of Santa Cruz, Siridao the same treatment was not afforded to those protesting against the Candolim Calangute ODP despite allegations of it making sweeping changes in the area.
Back in September, the TCP minister declined to do away with the PDA as demanded by the villagers. “I told them I cannot discuss that because we have to discuss things within the ambit of the TCP Act. To disband the PDA which is already constituted…I don’t have powers to do that,” Sardesai had said.
He said he did not agree with the villagers’ contention that Calangute-Candolim was not sufficiently developed and therefore should not be included in the PDA.
“One cannot say that for Calangute or Candolim at least. If Calangute and Candolim is not developed then what is Fatorda? Fatroda is a rural-urban area. If this area can become a municipality, then nothing stops Calangute and Candolim to be considered as planning area,” he opined.
“I don’t find any logic in asking to drop the two villages from PDA. For what? Are you saying Chimbel, or Santa Cruz and Siridao is same as Calangute and Candolim? It can’t be. You can’t equate them,” he added.
Villagers, especially those of Candolim, had made allegations that there were large tracts of lands whose zone was changed including mangroves, fields and orchards directly to benefit certain persons and business interests.
The plans were kept open for objections and suggestions around 2,000 of which have been submitted. Many suggestions and objections have been received on this plan.
Villagers have alleged that large portions of mangroves, orchard and no development zones will be converted into settlement and commercial under the proposed Outline Development Plan.
Candolim Gram Sabha in the month of February on this issue has ended in chaos after the panchayat secretary and sarpanch refused to entertain a demand to adopt a resolution opposing the Outline Development Plan .
While the MLA of Calangute and NGPDA chairman and local MLA Michael Lobo have strongly supported this plan and said that this plan will help in the development of the villages.
Villagers of several villages including those in Candolim, Calangute, Parra, Arpora and Nagoa which have all been included in the ODP have also voiced their objections to the plan.
In November 2017, the High Court of Bombay at Goa had stayed the letter issued by Town and Country Planning (TCP) Department putting in operation the draft ODP Calangute-Candolim 2025. Accordingly, the Government on February 5, 2018 directed TCP to re-notify the ODP under Section 35 of TCP Act.
The villagers had made a direct charge that the government was not giving them an appointment and refused to hear them.
Calangute-Candolim ODP may scrape through at today's meet
TCP meeting to approve the plan was earlier postponed under pressure from the villagers
