the goan I network
MAPUSA
North Goa Planning and Development Authority (NGPDA) Chairman and Calangute MLA, Michael Lobo said that people were not against the PDAs but politicians were trying to misguide them.
“The politicians (belonging to the opposition) are misguiding the people. There is no anger amongst the people. There is anger among the politicians. Some politicians are deliberately misleading the people,” Lobo said.
The Calangute MLA who is also the deputy speaker was addressing a news conference in his Calangute office on Wednesday.
Lobo said the TCP minister has bowed down to people’s wishes and removed most of the villages from the Greater Panaji PDA (GPPDA).
“Now, there is a very small percentage of people who are saying we don’t want Taleigao to be part of GPPDA. Actually, Taleigao was already part of NGPDA from 2006,” he said.
Lobo, however, deftly skirted the question on church’s role in appealing to its flock to oppose PDA and join in the peaceful meeting at Azad Maidan on April 6.
Repeating his oft statement, the Calangute MLA said he was more concerned about regularizing the structures in his village.
“My concern is my local people’s structures, houses whatever is there should be regularized. We will have to relax rules and regulations and this can be done by NGPDA,” he said.
Lobo said the economy of the people living in the coastal belt depended on tourism.
He said people who gave one room to let have constructed 20 rooms, guesthouses became hotels and tavernas got converted into pubs. Even people who could not afford have given rooms in their houses to let, he added.
“These structures may be illegal which must now be regularized,” he said making a case for inclusion of Candolim-Calangute in PDA.
According the Lobo, around 7 lakh sq mt government and communidade land in Candolim and 8 lakh sq mt in Calangute have been reserved for public utility projects such as parks, warehouse, senior citizens home, etc and which has been marked in the outline development plan (ODP).
“When someone is doing something good, opposition is always there. Our procedure is transparent. If they (opposition) feel there’s anything wrong in the plans they can file objections/suggestions before the authority within 60 days,” he said.
Taking on his political opponents, the Calangute MLA said Congressmen, Agnelo Fernandes and Joseph Sequeira have created a mess in the village.
Lobo alleged that both Agnelo and Joseph have looted the people of Calangute and were scared that people’s houses were getting regularized. He said his political rivals were saying that PDA would bring builder’s lobby in the village but wondered where’s the space to build?
“From Sinquerim to Baga there is no space left. Only government and communidade land is left and we need to protect this land,” he said.
