MAPUSA: Stoutly defending the Town Planning Scheme for development of Mapusa, Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar on Tuesday said his government was not forcing people to accept the scheme and those who were not interested were free to walk away.
"There's no compulsion for people to participate in the scheme. We will not force anyone to join. Everyone is free to take a decision of their choice," Parrikar assured, while addressing a gathering of stakeholders and beneficiaries of the Town Planning Scheme for Mapusa in the city.
He said the government would follow all rules and give stress on environment and ecological concerns while carrying out the development in the city under the scheme.
"All rules will be followed. All environmental and ecological laws will be taken into consideration. In fact, decisions will be taken in such a way that we will do more than what the law stipulates," Parrikar said. Trying to allay fears of the section of the gathering, the CM said at the moment the government was placing a concept before the people.
"Once the scheme is finalized, we will announce it to the people through newspapers and other available mediums. Stakeholders can then come and register themselves in the scheme," he said.
He said pressure of expansion and growth had led to irregular development in many areas in the State.
"People carry out land filling of farm land for expansion and this resulted in haphazard development," he added.
Taking potshots at the Congress MLA Aleixo Reginald Lourenco, who was among the audience, the chief minister said the opposition MLA was trying to expand his political influence.
"Reginald Lourenco opposes land filling of fields. I will ensure that no fields get converted in Curtorim," Parrikar said.
Under the town planning scheme, government seeks to develop an area of almost 18 lakh sq metres of land on the outskirts of Mapusa.
"There's no compulsion for people to participate in the scheme. We will not force anyone to join. Everyone is free to take a decision of their choice," Parrikar assured, while addressing a gathering of stakeholders and beneficiaries of the Town Planning Scheme for Mapusa in the city.
He said the government would follow all rules and give stress on environment and ecological concerns while carrying out the development in the city under the scheme.
"All rules will be followed. All environmental and ecological laws will be taken into consideration. In fact, decisions will be taken in such a way that we will do more than what the law stipulates," Parrikar said. Trying to allay fears of the section of the gathering, the CM said at the moment the government was placing a concept before the people.
"Once the scheme is finalized, we will announce it to the people through newspapers and other available mediums. Stakeholders can then come and register themselves in the scheme," he said.
He said pressure of expansion and growth had led to irregular development in many areas in the State.
"People carry out land filling of farm land for expansion and this resulted in haphazard development," he added.
Taking potshots at the Congress MLA Aleixo Reginald Lourenco, who was among the audience, the chief minister said the opposition MLA was trying to expand his political influence.
"Reginald Lourenco opposes land filling of fields. I will ensure that no fields get converted in Curtorim," Parrikar said.
Under the town planning scheme, government seeks to develop an area of almost 18 lakh sq metres of land on the outskirts of Mapusa.
