MARGAO
Will the South Goa Planning and Development Authority shelve the controversial truck terminus proposed at Madel around a decade and half ago from the Outline Development Plan (ODP) of Margao?
This question has come to the fore with the PDA sub-committee almost capping the exercise to hear objections received by the PDA from citizens. The Goa State Urban Development Agency (GSUDA) had acquired the land admeasuring 1.15 lakh square meters around 2003 to set up the proposed truck terminus.
The proposal was subsequently dropped following a sustained agitation by residents of Madel on grounds that a truck terminus right in their backyard will only promote prostitution and illegal shanties in and around the project. Incidentally, though the Congress government in 2005 had shelved the truck terminus project bowing to the demands of the local residents of Madel, the project, however, continued to find mention in the ODP with GSUDA insisting on the project.
When The Goan contacted TCP Minister Vijai Sardesai to shed light on the issue, he asserted that he will ensure that the controversial project will find no mention on the ODP. “I had started my political career by joining the people of Madel against the truck terminus. I will stand by my decision against the truck terminus. My promise made to the people of Madel in my constituency will be taken to its logical conclusion,” Sardesai told The Goan.
SGPDA Member Secretary Ashok Kumar, who was busy giving final touches to the ODP ahead of the meeting of the Authority on Thursday, said the PDA will take a decision on the truck terminus at tomorrow’s meeting.
Incidentally, while the controversial truck terminus project was shelved in 2005 by the Congress government, questions have been raised by farmers cultivating the fields whether they will get their land back from GSUDA.
In the past, the TCP Minister had dropped hints that a good portion of the acquired land will be retained for agriculture and utilise the remaining portion for institutions. In fact, Sardesai said he has in mind a proposal to set up an agricultural estate on the GSUDA acquired land wherein farmers could cultivate and also utilise a portion of it to set up institutions.
