PANAJI
The Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) on Friday launched a scathing attack on the BJP-led government over its reported proposal to classify 56 villages as urban areas, alleging that the move would erode Goa's traditional village character and primarily benefit the real estate sector.
Addressing a press conference, GPCC spokesperson Adv Amit Palekar demanded immediate withdrawal of the proposal, claiming it posed a serious threat to cultural, environmental and rural identity.
Palekar said Goa's villages were more than administrative units and represented the State's heritage, culture, community life and ecological balance. He warned that granting urban status to the villages would permanently alter their social fabric, encourage large-scale construction, reduce agricultural land and weaken the traditional village ecosystem.
“The BJP government has once again exposed its anti-Goan mindset. This is not a policy for development; it is a blueprint for uncontrolled real-estate expansion. Instead of protecting Goa's villages, the Government is converting them into commodities for builders and land sharks,” Palekar alleged.
Questioning the government's approach, Palekar said the proposal was being pursued without obtaining the informed consent of villagers, gram sabhas and local panchayats.
“Urbanisation cannot be imposed from the Secretariat. It must emerge from the aspirations of the people. The government is attempting to bulldoze the sentiments of thousands of Goans without transparency or democratic consultation,” he said.
The Congress leader further claimed that reclassifying the villages would trigger indiscriminate construction, overburden existing infrastructure, worsen traffic congestion, increase pressure on water and essential services and cause irreversible environmental damage.
He also alleged that the exercise appeared designed to favour influential real estate interests at the cost of ordinary Goans.
The party has demanded that the government immediately suspend the proposal and place in the public domain all reports, expert recommendations and studies on which the decision was based. It also called for comprehensive public consultations before any decision.
