the goan I network
MAPUSA
Admitting the growing resentment against the Planning and Development Authorities (PDAs) in the State, Cabinet Advisory Committee member Francisco D’Souza said the government has to come out with a policy on PDAs.
“I know that. Government has to take a policy decision on that,” D’Souza said replying to a query over growing opposition against planning bodies in the State.
He further said that PDA was doing what the town and country planning department has been doing.
“The only problem is that PDAs are for urban areas. Goa is considered as an urban state. See the development in St Cruz and Merces. It is as good as Panaji,” he said.
D’Souza who is also the urban development minister revealed that when he was the TCP minister he had maintained that construction of high-rise buildings should stop somewhere.
“Development is going on at such a rapid pace. I don’t know where we are heading. Our population is only 15 lakh. How much are we building? Thousands and thousands of flats…For whom? We are only encouraging migration,” he said.
He said the identity of villages should be retained and the best way to do that was to declare some villages as conservation zone.
“I honestly feel some of the villages should be under conservation zone. There should only be 1+ 1 structures. In New Zealand there are no high-rise buildings. Only in Auckland (capital city) there are a few buildings. It looks beautiful. Same type of houses everywhere,” the minister said.
“And what are we doing here? Even in villages we have high-rise buildings, which in fact is not necessary,” he continued.
On the popular coastal belt in North Goa, the CAC member said, Calangute-Candolim has grown at rapid pace but the villages of Parra and its suburbs were still unique and should be conserved.
“Calangute-Candolim belt is fully developed. But not Parra. Not Nagao. Not even Arpora. They should be conserved,” he said.
“A village has got different identity. It should look like a village. Most of our villages don’t look like villages anymore. Why do we require so many high-rise buildings?” he questioned.
