Agency consultant makes second presentation in 17 months before MMC for Vision 2041 push while 3,400 development proposals submitted to DPC by local bodies last year remain unaddressed
File photo of the South Goa District Planning Committee held in January 2024 to approve the Consolidated District Development plan for South Goa. The DPC has not met since then and nor the district plan finalised and sent to the government for approval.
MARGAO
A non-statutory Master Plan for Margao dubbed as Vision 2041 appeared to have received a renewed government push, with the Goa State Urban Development Agency (GSUDA)-appointed consultant making a case for its implementation in Goa’s commercial capital.
Sadly, while the Master Plan gains momentum in Margao, the constitutionally-mandated district development plan for South Goa remains in limbo, with the statutory body, the District Planning Committee rendered redundant and defunct due to government’s apathy and indifference.
While GSUDA recently returned to the Margao Municipal Council with a powerpoint presentation, the second time in the last 17 months with an avowed objective of pushing the development proposals, the fate of the 3,400-odd development proposals contained in the district development plan for South Goa for the financial year 2024-25 remains unknown. These 3,400-odd plans were received by the South Goa District Planning Committee (DPC) from the South Goa Zilla Panchayat, Panchayat and Municipal bodies from the district, in the last financial year.
That’s not all. The District Planning Committee (DPC) for South Goa has been once again confined to the papers. For, the DPC has neither prepared the consolidated district development plan for South Goa for the financial year 2025-26 nor has forwarded any plan to the government before the commencement of the current financial year.
Official inquiries have confirmed that the DPC has not been convened to initiate the process, with some officials candidly admitting that no such plan has been drawn up for the current financial year — thereby nullifying any possibility of it being submitted to the government.
A senior panchayat official was candid in admitting that neither the DPC was convened to deliberate on the formulation of the district development plan nor were the panchayat and municipal bodies told to send their development proposals for incorporating into the district plan.
Reason: “With what face will we request the panchayat and municipal bodies to send their development proposals to the DPC when the fate of the 3,400-odd developmental proposals recommended by these civic bodies remain unknown,” remarked a senior DPC official.
What’s interesting to note is that the government nor the Directorate of Panchayats have raised any queries over the failure of the South Goa District Planning Committee to submit the district development plan for the current financial year.
When The Goan contacted the Chief Executive Officer of the South Goa Zilla Panchayat, Florina Colaco, who is the ex-officio Member Secretary of the DPC, to shed light on the district development plan, she confirmed that no district development plan has been consolidated this year and sent to the government for implementation in the current year.
Convenor of Goa Panchayati Raj Institutions, J Santan Rodrigues has questioned the government’s apathy over the State of the constitutionally-mandated DPCs. “These panels are not only required to be set up, but they have to discharge their duties and responsibilities on bottom to top planning. The total disregard for statutory planning frameworks raises serious concerns about governance priorities, planning transparency, and the democratic participation of grassroots bodies in shaping the region’s development,” Rodrigues asserted.
He added: If the objective behind the master plan is to get central funds for projects in Margao, South Goa would have received central funds if the government had to implement the district development plan for South Goa in letter and spirit.”
MMC slammed for Master Plan push without submitting devpt plan to DPC
MARGAO: The Margao Municipal Council was literally stumped by city-based NGO United Goans Foundation for its alacrity in arranging powerpoint presentation for the Master Plan for Margao 2041, but is yet to prepare an annual development plan for submission before the District Planning Committee.
During the powerpoint presentation on the Master Plan for Margao conducted by GSUDA-appointed consultant Studio Pod, UGF convenor Dr Ashish Kamat slammed the Margao Municipal Council over its failure to submit any development plan to the District Planning Committee till date.
“This civic body seemed rushing with haste to approve the Master Plan for Margao for obvious reasons. But, the MMC should tell Madgaunkars as to how many annual development plans have been prepared by the civic body and submitted to the District Planning Committee till date,” he said.
He questioned: “The UGF is the petitioner in the Writ Petition before the High Court in respect of the government failure to give effect to the Article 343ZD of the Constitution. The High Court has issued directions as well as guidelines how the local bodies should go about in submitting development plans to the DPC. Has the MMC submitted any such plan for Margao? If yes, the MMC should lay bare the development plans submitted to the DPC for incorporation in the District Development Plan.”
Sec 239 of the Goa Panchayat Raj Act, 1994
Section 239 of Goa Panchayat Raj Act 1994 states that government shall constitute in every district, a District Planning Committee to consolidate the plans prepared by the Zilla Panchayat, Panchayats, and Municipal Councils in the district as a whole and prepare a draft development plan for the district as a whole after taking into consideration, matters of common interest between the Zilla Panchayats, Panchayats and Municipal Councils in the district including spatial planning, sharing of water and other physical and natural resources, the integrated development of infrastructures and environmental conservation;
The extent and type of availability resources whether financial or otherwise: Consult such institutions and organisations as the Government may, by order, specify and hereafter: The Chairperson of every District Planning Committee shall forward the development plan, as recommended by such Committee to the Government.
