VASCO
Residents of Chicalim have unanimously rejected the draft ODP presented before them by Mormugao Planning Development Authority (MPDA) Member Secretary Ashok Kumar.
According to a press release issued by Cyril Fernandes, Kumar and his officers present were questioned by villagers over the errors in the draft ODP placed before the villagers, at a largely attended meeting convened by Chicalim Sarpanch Seby Pereira to discuss the new draft ODP.
Fernandes claimed that the member secretary admitted the errors and promised to rectify the same before finalising the draft ODP.
“Hundreds of villagers from Chicalim, Dabolim and St Jacinto Island had come with various objections to the draft ODP,” said Fernandes.
Fernandes said he had made a presentation and exposed the entire draft ODP for its glaring mistakes, wrong markings, skipping of sensitive information and violation of various existing central and state laws.
Capt Viriato Fernandes also questioned the need to draft the ODP 2030 in 2021, when the existing Plan 2026 is not even begun to be implemented.
"While opposing the draft 2030, Capt Fernandes demanded that the entire exercise be abandoned and started in 2025 or 2026.”
“He warned that Goans would not take it lightly if the MPDA went ahead with this exercise and threatened to file a criminal case against the MPDA officials, including the member secretary,” stated the press release.
Fernandes said the MPDA member secretary agreed to incorporate all objections raised by the villagers and even invited interested villagers to his office for further discussions on how best to correct the draft plan.
“He promised to provide more open spaces, areas for new satellite markets, parks, public conveniences, provisions to protect the flora and fauna of the village and a clean and green Chicalim," claimed Fernandes in the press note.
