SPEAKING HIS MIND
* The TCP Minister said that he had set a month’s time for those opposing the RP 21, including Goencho Avaaz to submit their cases before the five-member panel
* Since the panel did not receive any objections from the concerned people, there’s no question of taking any decision, he said
* Let the demands and issues raised by these people come before the Assembly for a debate and decision, said Vijai Sardesai
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MARGAO: With the self-imposed deadline of June 2 having ended two days ago, TCP Minister Vijai Sardesai on Monday said all questions relating to the Regional Plan 21 will be discussed and deliberated on the floor of the Legislative Assembly before taking any action.
Speaking his mind on the contentious issue after the expiry of the self-imposed deadline, the TCP Minister said that he had set a month’s time for those opposing the RP 21, including Goencho Avaaz to submit their cases before the five-member panel constituted by the government to go into allegations vis-Ã -vis the Regional Plan. “Since the panel did not receive any objections from the concerned people, there’s no question of taking any decision. Let the demands and issues raised by these people come before the Assembly for a debate and decision,” he told The Goan.
Sardesai pointed out that the five-member panel in its report has concluded that there were no specific complaints or any other documents received by it, which could be scrutinized and arrived at an conclusion to be submitted to the government in respect of the allegations made by Goencho Avaaz.
The Committee has further noted that the guidelines issued by various orders of the government offer enough safeguard to scrutinize all the development applications and not to allow any development, if it is in violation of the guidelines, even though the particular area is zoned as settlement.
Members of the panel includes Venancio Fernandes, HoD, Architectural Engineer, government Polytechnic, Panaji, Ernesto Moniz, Member of Institute of Engineers, Manguesh Prabhugaonkar, Chairman of Institute of Architects, Paresh Gaitonde, member of Institute of Engineers and Chief Town Planner Rajesh Naik.
The Committee was of the opinion that a comprehensive framework is already adopted for considering the applications and guidelines/parameters are in place, which shall be stressed upon every application that comes under the exercise, which shall include holistic concept/planning approvals; existing scenario/land uses, density and its analysis, economic consideration of land use concept; planning concept so as not to promote saturation and haphazard development and employment opportunities with alternative in different landuses
Goencho Avaaz at its massive meeting at the historic Lohia Maidan had demanded the immediate scrapping of the controversial RP 21. Pending the scrapping of the plan, Goencho Avaaz had further demanded to keep on hold the government order operationalizing the RP 21. The NGO had further demanded scrapping of the PDAs and the ODPs across the state.
