PANAJI
The Congress in Goa has pledged to scrap all contentious land-use zone conversions effected under the controversial section 16B of the Town and Country Planning Act besides setting up a laboratory to test fish sold in markets if it is voted to power in 2022, the party's State president, Girish Chodankar said.
"Congress Government after coming to power in 2022 will immediately scrap Section 16-B along with all land conversions done under Section 16-B of the Town and Country Planning Act... The scrapping of three linear projects is already announced by our (AICC) in-charge Dinesh Gundu Rao. This is our firm commitment to the people," a statement issued by Chodankar said.
Arresting the rampant change of land use is necessary to protect Goa's identity, Chodankar said and added that the three linear projects dissecting protected forests will also be cancelled.
Goa witnessed a protracted agitation spearheaded mostly by civil society organisations and young professionals against the three projects -- a rail track doubling proposal, a private power transmission project and national highway widening -- which needed thousands of trees in the western ghats region which also hosts the Mollem National Park. It is a global biodiversity hotspot recognised by UNESCO.
The spontaneous stir against these three projects gathered steam when the National Wildlife Board gave its nod in controversial circumstances along with dozens of other projects in the country during the national lockdown in April last year.
Much of the protests erupted out of fear that the projects were being pushed through to facilitate a coal transportation corridor between Mormugao port and THE North Karnataka region's steel and power plants.
