MARGAO
Will the Goa State Urban Development Agency (GSUDA) or the GSUDA-appointed consultant shed light on the proposal in the Master Plan 2041 for Margao to develop a “neighbourhood Community hub” next to the Capela de Nossa Senhora Piedade at the Monte Hill?
Well, the proposal to develop the Neighbourhood community hub next to the Monte Hill Chapel, considered a heritage area, finds a mention in the Zone 2 of the Master Plan 2041 for Margao , throwing up a host of questions.
One, the proposal states that the neighbourhood community hub will be developed next to the Capela de Nossa Senhora da Piedade (Monte Hill) on the identified public land adjoining the TB hospital.
This has thrown up the question whether there’s any public land acquired by the government adjoining the TB hospital or whether the community hub is proposed to be developed on the land adjoining the TB hospital owned by the Director of Health Services.
If sources are to be believed, there’s no government land available on the Monte Hill next to the Chapel other than the land owned by the Health Services adjoining the TB hospital. The Master plan does not elaborate on how the government will go about developing the neighbourhood community hub at the Monte Hill next to the Chapel, sources said.
“It is for the GSUDA or the consultant appointed by the agency to explain how the neighbourhood community hub will come up next to the Chapel and what exactly is the negihbourhood community hub all about”, remarked a citizen.
In the past, citizens from Margao and Fatorda had resisted attempts to change the zone of the patch of land on the slope opposite the TB hospital land for residential or commercial purposes insisting that the slope is retained as a green zone in the Outline Development Plan (ODP) for Margao.
