Goans for Goa demand
withdrawal of RP21
Says plan a multi-crore real estate scam
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THE GOAN NETWORK
MARGAO
Condemning the government for placing the Regional Plan before the people in a hurry without first de-notifying the plan, the Goans for Goa has demanded that the government withdraw the plan within 10 days or face mass village-wise public meetings to oppose the same.
GFG demanded that the government should immediately denotify the RP 21, fall back on the task force plan, form proper village level committees, reconstitute the State level committees (SLC), and draw up a plan that is participatory.
GFG president Kennedy Afonso said the Regional Plan (RP21) in its existing form, is a multi-crore real estate scam, which was cooked by the former Congress government, and are now partnering with the BJP government to enforce the same. “The BJP was opposing the same regional plan, when they were sitting in the opposition, but now feels that, it all right to dump it on the people in it existing form, in sync with their U-turn policies on all matters," Afonso said.
He pointed out that the BJP in its manifesto had promised that a new RP21, would be put in place keeping in mind Goa identity and green cover. “However contrary to this, they kept the plan in abeyance, the legality of which is questioned by many," he said, while demanding to know why the BJP government suddenly felt that the same RP can be dumped on the people with the errors.
He recalled that noted Town planner and ex-member of the task force, Edgar Ribeiro, who had resigned in protest, had handed over a 5-page letter to the chief secretary, clearly stating that the RP21 has to denotified, and re-visited again, and the blatant errors removed.
The Pilerne Citizens forum which was also at the forefront, along with representatives of over 150 villages, had pressed that the plan be denotifed. “Late Fr Bismarck Dias had demanded that the RP21, needs to denotified and sent back to the people. That the government choose to release the Regional Plan, 27 days after his death, casts a shadow of doubt into his mysterious death, as the government along with the builders lobby are the major beneficiaries of RP21," he said, while suspecting that the Congress is supporting the move of the BJP government to proceed with the RP without notifying it.
