the goan I network
MARGAO
The Margao Municipal Council on Wednesday suggested a host of changes in the Outline Development Plan of Margao, but the City Fathers were found wanting in making a forceful plea to the SGPDA to change the Aquem Costa ground zone from commercial to playground.
Margao City Fathers now have a month’s time to consult ward people and make suitable recommendation to the SGPDA from the planning point of view. It’s, however, unclear how the City Fathers will go about in consulting the local residents before coming out with the suggestions.
The three parking spaces at the old market, old bus stand, pick up stand and the old fish market will be notified as central commercial zones with an FAR of 300 per cent. The Council has also recommended to the PDA to make the acquired land at Malbhat as well as old market as central commercial zones.
The beggars home proposed by the civic body to the SGPDA in the year 2016 was deleted from the proposals made to the civic body. And, neither the proposal mooted by Councillor Jaffar Budani to notify the ancestral house of the great Indian nationalist Dr Francis Luis Gomes as a heritage structure.
However, the Council resolved to mark the old Municipal building at Old market, popularly known as Camara de Salcete as a heritage structure and museum. Upon the demand made by councillor Glen Andrade, the Council decided to drop the proposal to widen roads in the heritage and conservation zone as it was feared that it will only result in the destruction of the heritage.
Glen also mooted a suggestion to mark the sloppy area atop Monte Hill as eco sensitive zone-I to bar development on the slope.
When the issue of Costa ground came for discussion, Aquem councillor Avinash Shirodkar pointed out that the Aquem residents as well as the Council had in the past resolved to retain the Costa grounds as football ground. SGPDA member Secretary Ashok Kumar, however, said the PDA will take a decision on the issue since the Costa ground zone is presently shown as a commercial zone in the present ODP.
Councillor Arthur D’Silva said the SGPDA should maintain consistency in its planning and should change the ODP based in the change in governments. When he sought to know whether the SGPDA has any proposal to relocate the petrol pumps, the PDA Member Secretary explained that suitable land needs to be identified in the city for the relocation of the fuel pumps.
The MMC has also dropped the proposal to notify vending zones on the parking lot opposite the KTC bus stand, with Chairperson Babita Prabhudesai saying the vending zone proposal has become irrelevant with the government mulling a new Fatorda Margao Bus Terminal. Members also demanded that the exhibition ground on the lines of Pragati Maidan, Delhi should be retained in the ODP.
The Council has also mooted a proposal to demarcate a buffer zone around the Sonsodo dumping site to ensure that no new housing projects come up close to the dump yard.
