PANAJI: Seeking to invite objections and suggestions, the State government on Tuesday once again kept the notified Regional Plan of Goa 2021 (RGP 2021) open to public who failed to respond in the past. The plan will be kept open at the taluka offices of the Town & Country Planning (TCP), said Chief Town Planner ST Puttaraju.
The government, Puttaraju said, has decided to give another opportunity to the members of the public, village panchayats, municipal councils to file their comments/rectifications to the notified RP 2021. Taluka settlement, village panchayat and municipal council plans can also be inspected at the respective taluka level offices of the TCP at Tiswadi, Pernem, Bicholim, Ponda, Mormugao, Quepem and Canacona and also at district level offices at Mapusa and Margao.
The list of comments and suggestions to the notified RPG-2021, received on or before 20 December, 2011 have been displayed at the respective taluka level offices and those that are listed need not submitted once again.
“Those that are on record are accounted for. We have cross checked the previous suggestions and verified them,” he said.
Speaking further, he also said the policy governing the plan would only be formulated once the suggestions were in. “We will go through the suggestions and get a system in place. Then we will work on the policy spelling it out and then get the organisational set up. We are anticipating some state level committees like in the past. Then we may have at taluka or district levels depending on the need,” said Puttaraju.
He estimated a week’s time to gauge the public response and by December 30to reach final notification stage.
The policies, he said, would not go against the current policies that are in place and would adhere to all other policies including village panchayat status, FAR and height of the buildings etc as notified in Regional Plan for Goa 2021.
“This is just the rectification process. Once the issues are in place, the policy can be framed. Our set goals are already in place. Things like eco sensitive areas are still in place. We have reduced FAR in several places. We will stick to that, we won’t change it. We want to see what the people have to say about it. Our policy in the entire process of the regional plan is to save environmental area. We have to stand by these policies,” he added.
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PLAN OPEN AT...
* The taluka offices of the Town & Country Planning (TCP)
* Comments and suggestions received on or before 20 December, 2011 displayed at respective taluka level offices
* Suggestions that have been listed need not submitted again
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WANT TO START NOTIFYING
BY APRIL 1: DEPUTY CM
Speaking to the media on the sidelines of a function at the Secretariat on Tuesday, Deputy Chief Minister and Minister for Town and Country Planning Francis D’Souza stated, “I want to start notifying the Regional Plan by April 1. It has been delayed a lot but it has begun now. Let objections and suggestions come. We will go to the next stage after 30 days.”
D’Souza assured that everything will go on as per the Goa Town and Country Planning Act, 1974. “All MLAs will be taken into consideration. Step one will be suggestions and objections and corrections. The panchayats and constituencies will also be consulted. The democratic process will go on,” he said.
Stressing that the regional plan will not seek to overhaul the existing set-up such as the 38 per cent notified forests, agricultural land and eco-sensitive zones, D’Souza stated that the intention is to protect the environment and develop the State.
He insisted that there is no need to extend time period beyond 30 days. “The 3,5000 inputs received already by TCP department will also be considered and these people need not resubmit their suggestions and corrections,” said the TCP minister.
Admitting that it is not possible to satisfy 100 per cent of the people, D’Souza said that the government will aim at satisfying the majority.
