Finally, Govt drops 13 villages from the Greater Panaji PDA

PARTING WAYS
>> Calapur (St Cruz), Bambolim, Cujira, Curca and Talaulim have been withdrawn from the Bambolim Planning Area
>> Chimbel and part village areas of Panelim, Talaulim, Bainguinim Ella, Carambolim, Goalim-Maula, Azossim and Gancim have been delineated from the jurisdiction of Kadamba Planning Area
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PAST TENSE
>> The government had faced massive protests over its decision to create a new Planning and Development Authority
>> Massive rallies, chain hunger strikes and other forms of protests were organised by the villagers in March-April-May
>> The chief concern of the protesters was that large tracts of land would be converted for massive real estate projects and other commercial ventures>> The stir got the support of the influential Catholic church and as it gained steam the MLAs representing the constituencies
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PANAJI: Bowing to public pressure, the State government has finally withdrawn large areas of 13 villages from the jurisdiction of the Greater Panaji Planning and Development Authority (GPPDA) headed by former minister Atanasio Monseratte.
The notification issued by the Town and Country Planning Secretary Daulat Hawaldar and published in the official gazette on Thursday said, that the areas were being withdrawn in "public interest".
Although the notification was issued by Hawaldar on September 3, it was published in the Official Gazette on Thursday and comes into force from that date.
According to the notification, large areas of the villages of Calapur (St Cruz), Bambolim, Cujira, Curca and Talaulim have been withdrawn from the Bambolim Planning Area.
Also, the whole revenue village area of Chimbel and part village areas of Panelim, Talaulim, Bainguinim Ella, Carambolim, Goalim-Maula, Azossim and Gancim have been delineated from the jurisdiction of the Kadamba Planning Area.
The government had faced massive protests from residents and civil society organizations to its decision to create a new Planning and Development Authority by including the largely agrarian villages of St Cruz, Merces, Curca, Telaulim and densely wooded areas of the Kadamba plateau and surrounding villages.
Massive rallies, chain hunger strikes and other forms of protests were organised by the villagers in March-April-May to oppose the government's decision under a newly formed organisation nomenclatured 'Goa against PDA'.
The chief concern of the protesters was that large tracts of land would be converted for massive real estate projects and other commercial ventures in these villages. Also, the dilution of the powers of the panchayats was another concern voiced at the protests.
The stir also got the support of the influential Catholic church and as it gained steam the MLAs representing the constituencies - Tony Fernandes (St Cruz) and Francis Silveira (St Andre) - buckled and joined the protesters in formally demanding with the government that their areas be excluded from the GPPDA.
Wilting under the sustained public pressure, Town and Country Planning Minister Vijai Sardessai, who was the driving force behind the Government's decision to set up the new Planning and Development Authority, finally announced that the villages will be excluded from the GPPDA.
He announced in March around the time of Easter, that owing to the protests of the villagers 10 villages will be dropped from the jurisdiction of the new PDA.
Sardessai's announcement however failed to placate the protestors and they continued to agitate holding rallies, candle marches and other forms of protest.
GAP said they had no faith in 'spoken words' of the politicians. They said, their agitation would be withdrawn only after the announcement made by Sardessai to exclude the villages from the GPPDA was translated to one on paper. The demand is now fulfilled with Thursday's notification published on Thursday, albeit partially, as the Arpora-Nagoa-Parra Planning Area has been left untouched and continues to be within the jurisdiction of the North Goa PDA.