PANAJI
Less than five years after carving it out, the Town and Country Planning Board has decided to scrap the Greater Panaji Planning and Development Authority (GPPDA) which had jurisdiction over fast urbanising areas circumventing the capital city such as Taleigao, Kadamba plateau and Bambolim.
"From today, from the date of notification, the Greater Panaji Planning and Development Authority will cease to exist," Rane said, adding that North Goa will now have only one authority -- North Goa Planning and Development Authority -- which is headed by Taleigao MLA Jennifer Monserrate as chairperson.
Rane also said that Arpora, Nagoa and Parra have been removed from the jurisdiction of planning areas and the NGPDA headed by Monserrate will henceforth have under its jurisdiction Panaji, Taleigao, Calangute, Candolim, Mapusa and Bambolim planning areas.
The Kadamba plateau area will be developed as a satellite township after all the rules and regulations are framed, Rane said, adding that those who have to be consulted have been spoken to, on all these decisions.
The decision to exclude Kadamba plateau was taken after the Board had in previous meetings come across cases where properties were partly covered in the Kadamba ODP and the balance came under the jurisdiction of the TCP's Tiswadi Taluka Office, he added.
Interestingly, Rane named Revenue Minister Atanasio (Babush) Monserrate as one of those 'leaders' consultations were had before the decision was taken.
Monserrate was appointed GPPDA chairperson ever since its formation by the Chief Minister, the late Manohar Parrikar in 2017-18. He quit to contest the 2019 Panaji bye-election and was reappointed when he defected along with nine other Congress MLAs to the BJP in July 2019.
Rane, meanwhile, refrained from saying whether he consulted Opposition Leader, Michael Lobo, with whom he has had an ongoing tussle over issues related to ODPs and other TCP department matters related to his Calangute constituency.
The decision to remove Arpora, Nagoa and Parra, all three villages part of Lobo's Calangute constituency, is seen as a politically potent move, which Rane said will be given effect after the 60 day period of suspension of the ODPs ends and all issues are scrutinised.
