the goan I network
MARGAO
The South Goa Planning and Development Authority (SGPDA) gave its stamp of approval for the Outline Development plan (ODP) for Margao and Ponda amidst allegations that bouncers made their presence felt in the PDA office on Thursday.
Even as SGPDA Chairperson Dr Renuka Da Silva feigned ignorance over the presence of bouncers in the PDA office when the members met to approve the ODP, president of United Goans Foundation Dr Ashish Kamat cried foul saying that bouncers were stationed to intimidate the citizens.
When The Goan asked the PDA chairperson to shed light on the presence of bouncers in the PDA office when the meeting was underway inside, Dr Renuka said the PDA did not invite any bouncers for the meeting. “May be those present outside or in the office of the PDA were all residents of Fatorda. We did not call anyone. I was seating inside. Why should the PDA engage any bouncers,” she asserted.
Dr Ashish Kamat of United Goans Foundation, however, told The Goan it was unprecedented in the history of the SGPDA that bouncers were stationed to intimidate citizen visitors to the PDA office and that too when police were already present in the office. “When I tried to bring the presence of the bouncers to the notice of PI Navlesh Desai, the in-charge of the Fatorda police station, the police officer point blank told me that bouncers are engaged by people for security and occupy a prominent place after the police,” he added.
“Considering that the authority would be adopting a totally illegal and arbitrary Draft ODP 2028, such tactics reinforce the belief that a lot of money hinges on the adoption of a plan wherein zone changes have been undertaken to favour builders which as per Section 39 of TCP Act under which the ODP notification was published cannot be undertaken,” Dr Ashish said. He has promised to undertake due and necessary action on such alleged arbitrary and illegal act of the Authority.
Sources in the know said that many youngsters from Fatorda, many of whom were believed to be members of the Goa Forward party, were prominently seen in the corridors of the PDA. Goa Forward party supremo Vijai Sardesai’s right hand man and PS Ramnarth Naik was seen in the PDA office.
