PANAJI
Even as the TCP Minister Vishwajit Rane announced that the Greater Panaji Planning and Development Authority (GPPDA) has been scrapped, those who had been opposing inclusion of Bambolim and Kadamba plateau areas into PDA have said there is nothing to cheer about as the areas are now sought to be included into NGPDA.
Activist Arturo D'Souza, who had been opposing inclusion of Santa Cruz areas into PDA, stated that even though the GPPDA has been scrapped the areas will still continue to be in the PDA, which villagers were opposing all along.
“We have been opposing inclusion of village areas into PDA and that has not happened as these areas will now be part of NGPDA,” D'Souza stated while opining that scrapping GPPDA would have made sense if the approvals granted were also scrapped.
“If permissions are going to stay, what's the point in srapping the GPPDA?” he posed and demanded that Santa Cruz areas be excluded from PDA.
Another Santa Cruz local Peter Gonsalves said there would have been something to cheer for them if the areas under GPPDA were brought under Regional Plan.
“However, here they are moving GPPDA areas into NGPDA,” Gonsalves stated while adding that there is something suspicious in the entire move.
Chimbel local Tukaram Kunkolkar said that there is something fishy in the move as the Kadamba planning areas are now sought to be developed into a satellite township.
“This could be even worse as the FAR could be even more than what was allowed in the GPPDA. As it is, we are opposed to inclusion of Kadamba plateau into PDA but now developing a satellite township will lead to massive concretisation and destruction of the green belt of Chimbel,” Kunkolkar opined.
Another local Ajay Kholkar said the villagers are confused over the move to scrap GPPDA as there is no clarity on the same. “It appears that the move aims at bringing in massive projects along the Kadamba plateau, as a township has been proposed,” he stated.
