the goan I network
MARGAO
Giving a call to scrap the anti-Goa RP 2021 and prepare for a pro-Goa new RP, social activists from across the state have warned TCP Minister Vijai Sardesai 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.
Saying that TCP Minister has betrayed the people of Goa, they said the people of Goa give him no choice but to immediately revoke his decision, failing which he will face the wrath of Goa and Goans.
The social activists have 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.
Addressing the media on Saturday, Ramkrishna Jhalmi said that concerned citizens and civil society organizations of Goa are shocked with the irrational decision taken by the TCP Minister that RP 2021, which was frozen due to massive increase in illegal settlement for profits for builders and land sharks, will be now in force across the State. “We denounce this shameful attempt to make quick profits by destroying Goem and Goemkarponn permanently and demand that the RP-2021 be scrapped and a new plan be prepared for the sustainable development of Goa,” he demanded.
Activist Abhijit Prabhudesai reminded that RP-2011 was scrapped in 2007 due to public protests due to large scale increase in settlement zones for the benefit of land sharks, adding that it was promised that RP-2021 would be prepared for sustainable development of Goa. “However, during the final stages of preparation of RP-2021, large areas of forest, CRZ, agriculture were added into settlement zones across the State, forcing the people to again come to the streets in protest. Tens of thousands of letters were submitted by people to the Chief Town Planner pointing out numerous illegal changes, but none of the objections have been answered till date. Under pressure from the people, the then CM Manohar Parrikar was forced to freeze RP-2021 in 2012 with a promise that the plan would be revisited and corrected,” he reminded.
Activist Olencio Simoes, general secretary of Goenchea Ramponkarancho Ekvott and others demanded that all lands inhabited or used by fisherfolk, tribals, OBCs, agricultural tenants, farmers or which are forests, wetlands, CRZ, prime agriculture lands, other eco-sensitive areas, comunidade lands, etc are demarcated and removed from settlement zones for the survival of Goem and Goemkarponn and for the future generations. They also demanded that the attack on Goan villages for speculative gains of robber barons such as real estate lobby, 5-star hotels, coal mafia and unsustainable industries be prevented by restoring the areas to green zones. “All the ODPs must be scrapped and one Regional Plan must be made for the entire State as insisted by Mr Edgar Rebeiro, the most respected town planner in the country. Until these corrections are done, the RP-2021 must be kept frozen,” they said.
A petition was signed by 17 persons (Cedric D’Souza, Mario Pereira, Diana Tavares, Judith Coutinho, Denis Fernandes, Abhijit Prabhudesai, Cruz Judas Barreto, Swapnesh Sherlekar, John Fernandes, Suresh Talkatkar, Rama Kankonkar, Suraj Naik, Zarina Da Cunha, Satyawan Kamat, Nicolau Cardozo, Rony Dias and Olencio Simoes).
