the goan I network
MARGAO
There seems to be no end to the impasse between the government and organizations agitating against the Regional Plan 2021 under the banner of Goencho Avaaz.
Even as Goencho Avaaz rejected Chief Town Planner’s invitation to submit all complaints of RP illegalities to the five member committee, the TCP Minister Vijai Sardesai has disclosed that he would speak his mind on the Regional Plan only in the first week of June after the five member panel completes the ongoing exercise of scanning complaints against the plan within a month’s time.
What’s interesting to note is that sources in the know said the five-member panel may go ahead with its ongoing exercise of entertaining objections to the plan, irrespective whether Goencho Avaaz participates in the exercise or not. Goencho Avaaz, however, has sounded a note of caution to the government in the whole exercise warning “ that any sanctions granted by the five member committee vis-Ã -vis RP 21 will be considered as a criminal act and will be liable for criminal prosecution.
As the TCP Minister Vijai Sardesai and Town Planning officials are maintaining a stoic silence and declining questions from the media, Goencho Avaaz has warned that the organization will have no option but to continue its awareness programmes in the villages and towns and mobilize people to continue with the ongoing struggle.
Says social activist Abhijit Prabhudesai: “Goencho Avaaz has rejected the Chief Town Planner’s invitation for the simple reason that the five member panel has no legal sanction. Has the panel appointed as per the due process of law. What are the terms of reference of this panel constituted by the government and it’s unclear what exactly is the brief of the committee. In such circumstances, can anyone accept the invitation made by the Chief Town Planner”.
When his attention was drawn to the silence of the TCP Minister as well as Town Planning officials on the controversy, Abhijit warned “Goencho Avaaz will have no option other than to go back to the people and continue the movement till the RP 21 is scrapped and a process is set in motion to put a new RP 31 in place,” he warned.
Questions are raised whether the five-member panel was constituted by the government in view of the exposure by Goencho Avaaz at the Lohia Maidan or whether the committee was put in place based on the March 28 order operationalizing the Regional Plan 2021.
The five-member committee, which had met on May 3 had decided to issue notice to Goencho Avaaz for giving specific details on the allegations and to substantiate the allegations with necessary documental evidence/supporting documents for scrutiny/study by the committee.
The Goencho Avaaz was supposed to submit these details on or before May 11 as the next meeting of the five member committee was fixed on May 16. The committee, however, had made it clear that it had a limited scope only to the areas under the Regional Plan and not under the ODPs.
