MARGAO
Velim MLA Cruz Silva has demanded acomprehensive, ground-level study of every survey number that continues to fallunder the proposed Non Developable Area/No Development Zone (NDA/NDZ)classification, warning the Government against taking any further decision withoutexamining the concerns of affected families and traditional livelihoodcommunities.
Silva said the Government’s decision to nowexclude old settlements and settlement zones from the NDA/NDZ proposalreinforces the need for a similar detailed review of the remaining areas.
“The Government has now made an amendmentafter the concerns raised by us and the people. That clearly shows that theissues we had raised immediately after the notification were genuine and hadsubstance. I therefore put it on record once again: don’t take any decision onthe remaining areas without conducting a proper study of every survey numberand understanding the concerns of every affected family.”
The AAP legislator said he has completed thefirst round of consultations with all the affected Village Panchayats in theVelim constituency, meeting elected Panchayat members as well as members of thegeneral public. “The next phase would focus on identifying people whose livesand livelihoods are connected to areas that may not be officially classified assettlements but where families have traditionally lived or maintained sheltersclose to their sources of livelihood,” he said.
Silva said a blanket classification withoutunderstanding these ground realities could cause serious hardship to familiesthat depend on agriculture and fishing.
The MLA stressed that Goa’s small geographicalsize makes such an exercise both practical and necessary. “Goa is a smallState. Only a limited number of villages and areas have been brought under theseNDA and NDZ notifications. It is certainly possible to conduct a proper survey.The TCP Department should take the assistance of the Revenue Department, theconcerned Village Panchayats and the elected MLA of the respectiveconstituency. There is no justification for saying that such a detailedexercise is not possible.”
Silva said the Government must now use theopportunity to correct the deficiencies in the original process.
Saying that FAR must be decided in theinterest of villages, not real estate interests, he demanded clarity on theproposed Floor Area Ratio (FAR) applicable in these areas, adding that anydecision on FAR must reflect the needs, character and carrying capacity ofGoa’s villages rather than the commercial interests of builders and the realestate lobby.
He said the Government must consult theaffected Village Panchayats and local residents before finalising any FARprovisions. He clarified that his demand should not be construed as oppositionto environmental protection.
Warning the government that any further actionwithout a comprehensive ground-level assessment would only deepen the anxietyamong residents, he demanded that the TCP Department undertake a coordinatedsurvey involving the Revenue Department, Village Panchayats and electedrepresentatives, and document the circumstances of affected families beforefinalising the classification.
He said the Government must understand thatprotecting Goa’s environment and protecting the legitimate interests of itspeople are not competing objectives. “Protect Goa’s land, but don’t forget thepeople who have protected and depended on that land for generations. Planningmust be scientific, transparent and people-oriented. No government shoulddecide the future of an entire family merely on the basis of a line drawn on amap,” he added.
