MAPUSA
The task force committee to implement the Town Planning Scheme in downtown Mapusa, on Friday, has admitted that identifying the owners of the land was rather difficult and time-consuming.
“It’s an uphill task for the task force to identify the owners and convince them to accept the town planning scheme (TPS). It is a very difficult task but we are moving in the right direction. With the help of our chairman and other members of the task force we are trying to do it very fast,” said Shaikh Ali, deputy town planner and member secretary of the task force.
The member secretary of the task force was speaking at a news conference in Mapusa in the presence of the chairman, Sudhir Kandolkar, and other members.
The member secretary informed that so far 84 people holding 167 properties in the downtown Mapusa have expressed willingness to the scheme and gave their approval on stamp papers.
But he said there were many more yet to clear their names and give approval.
“Earlier properties were with the owners having one or two tenants. After the death of the owners their heirs have come into picture. Similarly, after the death of original tenants their heirs too have come into picture,” Ali said.
“We are trying to identify these people and take their willingness. It is time-consuming. First of all they are not available at one place. In some cases we are not aware of their whereabouts,” he said further. Appealing to all stakeholders to approach the member secretary and give their willingness to the scheme, Kandolkar said the scheme was beneficial to everyone “ farmers, tenants and the owners of the land.
“People of Mapusa and farmers should also grow and progress. They should also benefit,” Kandokar said and appealed to them to come forward and accept the scheme.
He said development was essential as Mapusa was getting congested. “If everyone comes together and say yes to the scheme, then Mapusa can be a model town in Goa,” he said. “Once successful,
the scheme can then be replicated in other parts of the State,” he added.
As per the TPS, government will develop an area of around 11 lakh square meres of land in downtown Mapusa in phase I and around seven lakh square metres at Camarkhazan and Gaunsavaddo in phase 2.
It may be recalled the two-phase TPS was approved by the government in 2013 and was launched on July 6, 2015 by Manohar Parrikar when he was the defence minister and Laxmikant Parsekar was the chief minister. The government had appointed M/s LKS India Pvt Ltd as consultants to prepare the plan.
