MARGAO
Close on the heels of Deputy Chief Minister Francis D'Souza expressing the government's intention of finalising the Regional Plan 2021 by December 2016, Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar left the government's door ajar for “considering objections”, even as he assured that the government will not rush through the Plan although it is keen on finalising the same.
The CM's statement came even as the “Goans For Sustainable Development” upped the ante on RP2021 by demanding its scrapping, and has called a meet at Lohia Maidan at 3.30 p.m. on April 22 to protest against the “total selling of Goa through a destructive RP2021 driven by vested interests”.
Parsekar, while speaking to mediapersons on the sidelines of a function in Margao on Saturday, assured that the government will not rush through the formulation of the Regional Plan.
Asked to react to the DyCM's statement regarding the government's intention of finalising the Plan by December, especially in the light of the demand by a section of NGOs to scrap RP2021 in toto, the CM remarked, “We are keen. But because we are keen, we will not rush through. If there are objections, the government will have to consider."
He claimed the DyCM will further elaborate on this matter.
This development comes amidst reports mentioning the State Level Scrutiny Committee's (SLSC) scheduled meeting on April 19 to scrutinise a slew of objections and suggestions received by it pertaining to the land use plan in RP2021 while being amenable to accepting more objections, if any, in this regard.
Meanwhile, social activists under the banner of 'Goans For Sustainable Development' held a press conference in Margao on Saturday and reÂiterated their demand of scrapping RP2021 and formulation of an “equitable, environment-friendly Regional Plan based on authentic data, that safeguards the ecology and environment and takes into consideration the rights and needs of all sections of Goan society.”
Briefing mediapersons, its convenor Ramkrishna Jhalmi, said it is abundantly clear that RP2021 is specifically tailored to meet the needs of a few builders and speculators, at the cost of ordinary Goans, traditional communities and occupations and environmental safeguards that our ancestors had so carefully put in place and that have served us so well over the years.
“Despite overwhelming evidence being submitted time and again that the unjustifiable RP2021 will surely lead to the destruction of Goa, the government refuses to consider the people's demand for a
Regional Plan for sustainable development of the many, rather than short Âterm profit of a few,” said Jhalmi.
He claimed 60 per cent to 70 per cent of the total land in the State has been marked as settlement
in RP2021.
“We have submitted letters we received from the people in this regard to the government but the government did not place the RP before the people while formulating it,” Jhalmi remarked, even as he claimed that areas marked as forests/khazan lands/fishermen activities/mangroves/plateaus have been shown as settlement areas in RP2021.
“Water bodies have not been shown in RP2021,” he stated, while demanding that RP2021 be scrapped.
Speaking at the press conference, Fr Eremito Rebello, said a presentation about RP2021 has been shown to the Chief Town Planner (CTP), Chief Secretary, while the same has been given in writing to the Governor, CM, DyCM, various government bureaucrats.
“There is still no reply,” Fr Eremito informed, while claiming that RP2021 will “squeeze” Goa between multi-millionaires and outsiders who will then venture into the State. “This government is not for Goans, it is for the builders. This government is antiÂ-Goan,” Fr Eremito remarked.
Social activist Zarina da Cunha termed the meet at Lohia Maidan as one last effort and “a desperate act of salvaging Goa”. Yet another social activist, Abhijit Prabhudesai, while responding to the SLSC, claimed it will only add new settlements to RP and it has no intention to rectify the Regional Plan.
“Send the plan back to the people and give data to the people,” he added.
Quoting Section 10 of the TCP Act, Prabhudesai said it entails collection of data and formulation of the Plan thereafter. “Scrap the Plan and take the people into confidence to collect data,” Prabhudesai remarked.
Those present for the press conference included social activists Siddharth Karapurkar, Jos Marie Miranda, Ronny Dias and Iftiyaz Sayed among others.
