MARGAO
The Varca village panchayat has unanimously resolved to strongly oppose the government proposal to declare Varca as an urban area, with the panchayat asserting that the land, resources, and administrative needs of Varca are best governed under the rural framework of a village panchayat.
Strongly urging the Directorate of Panchayats and the Revenue Department to permanently drop the proposal to classify Varca as an urban area and maintain its status as a rural village, the panchayat headed by Sarpanch Flavia Barretto stressed the need to protect the demography, culture, and rural identity of the village. “Varca is a traditional Goan coastal village with a distinct cultural fabric, architectural heritage, and socio-economic identity. Declaring it an "urban area" will inevitably lead to rampant, unplanned commercialisation and high-density urban development, completely destroying the peaceful, rural character that the locals cherish and protect,” the panchayat said.
While underscoring the need to safeguard the environment and Khazan Lands, the panchayat said that an urban classification usually permits higher Floor Area Ratio (FAR/FSI) and relaxed building regulations, which will invite mega-projects, strain our limited groundwater resources, and severely exacerbate sewage and garbage disposal crises.
Fearing that the move will destroy grassroots democracy (the Gram Sabha), the panchayat said, “Under the Goa Panchayat Raj Act, the local residents enjoy direct democratic power through the Gram Sabha, allowing every villager a voice in local governance and development projects. Upgrading the village to an urban area strips the local community of this constitutional right, transferring decision-making power away from the villagers to bureaucratic urban bodies,” the panchayat said.
