the goan I network
MAPUSA
Convenor of Council for Social Justice and Peace (CSJP) Executive Secretary Fr Savio Fernandes on Monday exhorted the people of Goa that the fight against the Planning Development Authority (PDAs) should be kept on until all the villages are removed from the planning bodies.
He also said that the town planning act was an outdated one which has to be scrapped and replaced with a model Goa development act.
“Tomorrow, they may say that they will keep Candolim out of the PDA. But we should not rest at that. As long as all the villages are removed from the ambit of PDAs, we will have to continue with our battle against the PDAs,” Fr Fernandes said at the awareness programme on PDA and ODP in Candolim.
The awareness meeting managed to draw more than 500 people. The hall of St Theresa’s Educational Complex was packed and the audience spilled in to the corridors.
Speaking further, Fr Fernandes said only after people came out and expressed opposition against the PDAs, the MLAs and ministers concerned have been promising to keep some villages out of the PDA.
“We will keep this struggle on until all the villages are out of the PDA and we should work together until we achieve the objective,” he said.
He further said that keeping villages out of PDAs was only a temporary solution and what was needed is to find a long term solution.
“The town planning act is an outdated act. We should scrap even the amendment to the act and there should be re-enactment of Goa development act. That is our demand,” Fr Fernandes said.
He said the town planning act only directs where a building has to come and how big a building should be.
“The requirement of water, electricity, garbage is then pushed on the panchayats. And that is why people face water and voltage problem since the number of houses increase,” he added.
Fr Fernandes said that he had come for the programme as a concerned citizen and to do his duty to protect the State. “People need to know what is PDA and what is its drawback. It is important that whatever is discussed and explained at the meeting should be disseminated to other people,” he said.
Historian Prajal Sakhardande spoke on the historic and cultural aspects of Candolim and stressed that the history of the village should not be sacrificed at the altar of development.
Roshan Mathias of Goenkar Against PDA, Walter D’Souza and others also addressed the gathering.
The awareness programme on PDA and ODP was organized by Concerned Citizens of Candolim in association with the CSJP.
