MARGAO
Decks have been cleared for the preparation of the Outline Development Plan (ODP) for Margao and Ponda planning area, with the government giving the go-ahead signal to the South Goa Planning and Development Authority (SGPDA) to take up the ODP work.
This is perhaps the first time that the SGPDA will be preparing an ODP when the ODP 2028 was notified just two years ago.
The present ODP 2028 in force was notified just around two years ago on March 7, 2019, when the SGPDA was controlled by the Goa Forward Party and Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai the Town and Country Planning Minister (TCP) Minister in the BJP government.
The idea of preparing the ODP was floated after a change of guard at the SGPDA when a new set of members headed by Congress-turned-BJP MLA Wilfred D’Sa assumed office. In fact, days after taking over the reins of office, the new SGPDA Chairman had come out in strong favour of preparing a new ODP to rectify the anomalies and to suggest new proposals.
Accordingly, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant-led government by order dated March 15, 2021, had accorded approval for the preparation of the ODP of Margao and Ponda Planning Area, a decision that had come in for strong objection from the two opposition MLAs, Leader of Opposition Digambar Kamat and Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai.
However, outgoing SGDPA Member Secretary V Dagur had sent a detailed note to the government explaining the objections raised by the two MLAs to the preparation of the ODP.
Sources in the know informed that the office of Chief Town Planner Rajesh Naik in an office note has now drawn the attention of the SGPDA to the government direction dated March 15 only to the extent of preparation of ODP for the Margao and Ponda planning area by following the provisions under section 34 to 38 of the TCP Act, 1974.
A glance at the office note states that the office of the CTP had issued the office note and the go-ahead signal with the concurrence of the government after considering the explanation given by the Chairman and Member Secretary to the objections raised by the two MLAs.
Though the clarification had come from the CTP office a month ago, the matter could not be taken up in view of the Covid pandemic lockdown, with sources in the SGPDA saying the clarification will be placed at the forthcoming meeting of the SGPDA before setting in motion the process to prepare the ODP.
