PANAJI
The consumer rights organisation GOACAN has demanded the translation of the draft Goa Land Development and Building Construction (Amendment) Regulations 2021 in Konkani and Marathi and uploaded to the website, to facilitate better public participation and effective feedback from all stakeholders and a cross-section of consumers in the State.
In a letter to James Mathew, Chief Town Planner (Administration), GOACAN has pointed out that the very purpose of calling for objections and suggestions to these regulations is to get feedback from professionals like architects, planners and civil engineers among others. GOACAN said feedback is also expected from elected representatives from village panchayats, municipal councils, Zilla panchayats, MLAs and MPs and the general public.
Good public participation in giving feedback on these very important regulations that impact the whole of Goa is crucial. However, to give feedback, it is important to read and understand the document, stated the GOACAN.
The GOACAN said it has been confronted with complaints of defective, unplanned, illegal houses and buildings, which when examined, had shown that these constructions were made based on bad and unprofessional advice from persons claiming to have architectural and civil engineering knowledge.
As the current time of 30 days from the date of publication in the Official Gazette, which was July 1, provided to the stakeholders and general public to submit objections and suggestions is already reduced by five days, GOACAN has proposed an extension of time of 30 days from the date, when the translated document is uploaded on the department website.
