PANAJI
A crucial meeting to discuss the fate of the Regional Plan 2021 is expected to be held on Wednesday with Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar and Town and Country Planning Minister seeking to take stock of the decade old issue of planning for the State.
Will the government bite the bullet and finalise a plan in which a field is (marked as) a field and a lake, a lake and one that is binding on all both rich and poor, builder
and farmer?
While Vijai has refused to comment on the way forward after his initial meeting with the Town and Country Planning Department officials, he has hinted that he would like to begin a fresh process rather than “only acting on objections and objections to objection”.
“I’ve been elected till 2022. Does this mean that in the final year I have to be planning over my own plans,” Sardesai had pondered without
directly saying that the plan that does come out would indeed need to be of a later year if not RP 2031.
Sources in the Town and Country Planning, however, said that the plans of the three talukas which were earlier rectified continue to remain with the government for their approval.
The TCP department, while responding to suggestions by no less than the minister who sought to put the plan in place for 2031, has suggested that it would only mean that the ‘operation period of the plan would be extended.’
The Regional Plan issue dates back to 2007 when the anti RP-2011 agitation began in 2007 leading to the plan being scrapped by the Digambar Kamat government. The govt later put in place a bottom up approach of village level planning resulting in the RP-2021 which, though notified by the Digambar Kamat government was to be ‘read with’ the RP-2001 according to a notification by the subsequent Manohar Parrikar government with the promise to bring in a new Regional Plan.
However, despite a new better regional plan being one of most significant promises of the BJP back in 2012, the party and its government has failed to deliver on its crucial promise.
All the while, Goa has been without a finalised plan that is binding on all both rich and poor builder and farmer as is being demanded by the Goa Bachao Abhiyan that was formed to save Goa from unscrupulous builders.
“We expect to have a clear process and criteria in place for protection of our eco-systems and Goan identity established before any work on the RP-2021 or RP-2031 commences. The guidelines sought to have been framed by the Task Force on RP-2021 created in October, 2007, need to be finalized now at the very least. The GBA will welcome any honest and meaningful dialogue with regard to planning,” the GBA had said recently.
The Regional Plan 2021 was notified by November, 2011 after 3 years of inclusive processes. It had most importantly clearly described criteria of Eco-Zones for protection and lowered built-up area in villages of low density. Rather than work within the context of the notified plan, the last Government proceeded to work outside the Plan: applicable in some cases, not applicable in others, something that has been scorned by activists who want a final plan applicable to all. directly saying that the plan that does come out would indeed need to be of a later year if not RP 2031.
Sources in the Town and Country Planning, however, said that the plans of the three talukas which were earlier rectified continue to remain with the government for their approval.
The TCP department, while responding to suggestions by no less than the minister who sought to put the plan in place for 2031, has suggested that it would only mean that the ‘operation period of the plan would be extended.’
The Regional Plan issue dates back to 2007 when the anti RP-2011 agitation began in 2007 leading to the plan being scrapped by the Digambar Kamat government. The govt later put in place a bottom up approach of village level planning resulting in the RP-2021 which, though notified by the Digambar Kamat government was to be ‘read with’ the RP-2001 according to a notification by the subsequent Manohar Parrikar government with the promise to bring in a new Regional Plan.
However, despite a new better regional plan being one of most significant promises of the BJP back in 2012, the party and its government has failed to deliver on its crucial promise.
All the while, Goa has been without a finalised plan that is binding on all both rich and poor builder and farmer as is being demanded by the Goa Bachao Abhiyan that was formed to save Goa from unscrupulous builders.
“We expect to have a clear process and criteria in place for protection of our eco-systems and Goan identity established before any work on the RP-2021 or RP-2031 commences. The guidelines sought to have been framed by the Task Force on RP-2021 created in October, 2007, need to be finalized now at the very least. The GBA will welcome any honest and meaningful dialogue with regard to planning,” the GBA had said recently.
The Regional Plan 2021 was notified by November, 2011 after 3 years of inclusive processes. It had most importantly clearly described criteria of Eco-Zones for protection and lowered built-up area in villages of low density.
Rather than work within the context of the notified plan, the last Government proceeded to work outside the Plan: applicable in some cases, not applicable in others, something that
has been scorned by activists who want a final plan applicable to all.
