The recently appointed chairman of North Goa Planning and Development Authority (NGPDA) Michael Lobo has said that he will try to get the villages of Arpora, Nagoa and Parra under planning area during the present tenure of the state government.
PANAJI
Lobo said, “Micro level planning is required for these villages for their better future. This is possible if Arpora, Nagoa and Parra are declared as planning area under NGPDA. Once these villages become planning areas, we can mark specific places for amenities like swimming pool, cricket ground, football ground, multi-purpose hall, market and other recreational centres.”
From a legal viewpoint, the decision to make a village a planning area should be taken by village panchayat or MLA concerned. Since Lobo is Calangute MLA, it is highly likely that Arpora, Nagoa and Parra will become planning area in near future, as these villages fall in Calangute constituency.
Lobo continued, “Arpora has already emerged as a tourism hub, as there are 1,500 hotel-rooms in this village. But, it doesn’t have a mini-market or a multi-purpose hall, which are very much required. We can plan amenities like market and multi-purpose hall if Arpora comes under planning area.”
Most villages in Goa don’t have proper planning. Apart from roads, water and power availability, nothing much on infrastructure front has happened in villages in the state. The problem becomes further complicated if these villages end up becoming tourist attraction, which results in cropping up of hotels.
To deal with it, village panchayats can either write to Town and Country Planning (TCP) minister urging him to direct Chief Town Planner (CTP) to come out with a micro village level plan. Such micro plans are required or otherwise unregulated construction and unscrupulous elements will ensure that in future villages may not be even recognisable.
Lobo further said, “Micro village level planning is required so that we preserve our villages for future generation. Any village in North Goa can choose between coming under NGPDA or writing to TCP minister requesting him for micro level planning.”
