Defends TCP minister’s decision to make regional plan operational
the goan I network
MAPUSA
Maintaining that things cannot be kept in abeyance for a long time, Cabinet Advisory Committee member and Urban Development Minister, Francisco D’Souza said Regional Plan 2021 was a notified plan kept hanging for very long much to the detriment of the people.
“You cannot keep things in abeyance for a long time that way. Because people who got rights are suffering,” D’Souza said.
The government in a sudden decision and much to the surprise of many recently revived the RP-2021 with certain conditions.
“It’s the decision of the concerned minister. And we need to respect the decision,” the urban development minister said.
Admitting that Chief Minister, Manohar Parrikar had kept RP-2021 in abeyance, D’Souza said a lot of time had passed and some decision had to be taken.
“For nine years it is in abeyance. How long can we wait. How long can people wait,” he said defending the decision of his colleague and TCP Minister, Vijai Sardessai.
The Mapusa MLA said that even when he was the TCP minister for two years nothing happened on the regional plan. “I notified Pernem, Canacona and Sattari. I kept it ready… It was approved by the town planning board. But things did not move forward,” he said.
In 2012, Chief Minister, Manohar Parrikar had frozen the RP-2021under public pressure promising to draft a new plan which never materialized. The plan, however, was not denotified.
According to urban development minister with the withdrawal of the villages from Greater PDA, the PDA issue was as good as resolved.
“The minister has withdrawn the villages from PDAs of Tiswadi. So the issue is over now, no?” he said.
“We say whole of Goa is urbanised. When you take urbanisation benefits you have to do planning benefits also…Why planning should be lopsided?” he added.
On Saturday, social activists opposed to TCP Minister Vijai Sardesai’s recent decision to bring the RP-2021 into force warned that any permission given based on RP-2021 shall be construed as a corrupt act and he shall be held personally responsible and taken to task for the corruption.
Activists lamented that TCP Minister had betrayed the people of Goa, and gave him no choice but to immediately revoke his decision, failing which he would face the wrath of Goa and Goans.
The social activists had also requested all the people of Goa to immediately rise and defend the State and the future generations, before it is irreversibly destroyed by vested interests and corrupt politicians.
Vijai on his part reacted by saying the government was ready to engage with anyone and everyone to remove their misconceptions on the revival of the RP-2021, and threw a gauntlet at the Congress and former chief minister, Digambar Kamat to come clear and outline the party’s stand on operationalizing RP 2021.
You cannot keep things in abeyance for a long time that way. Because people who got rights are suffering
It’s the decision of the concerned minister. And we need to respect the decision
The minister has withdrawn the villages from PDAs of Tiswadi
With the withdrawal of villages from Greater Panaji PDA, the PDA issue is as good as resolved...
We say whole of Goa is urbanised. When you take urbanisation benefits you have to do planning benefits also…Why should planning be lopsided?
