PORVORIM
The Penha de Franca panchayat has strongly objected to the inclusion of certain areas in the village under the purview of the North Goa Planning and Development Authority (NGPDA) and has convened a special Gram Sabha on December 6 to discuss the issue with the residents.
Addressing a news conference in Porvorim, Penha de Franca Sarpanch Swapnil Chodankar said the NGPDA has published a notice on November 22 stating that there is no objection from residents of Penha de Franca to the inclusion of survey numbers 91/5, 91/7, 90/1, 36/1, 5/1 and Mandovi River, 38/0(p), 52/1, 59/0, 58/0, 71/2 and Nallah of Penha de Franca in the Panjim Planning Area.
“This is totally absurd. The Town and Country Planning department had published a notification in the Official Gazette dated December 29, 2022 stating that the government desires to include the above survey numbers of Penha de Franca in Panjim Planning Area,” said Chodankar.
“The panchayat immediately wrote to the Chief Town Planner (Administrator) raising its objections to the inclusion of the aforesaid areas in the Panjim Planning area and requested for the withdrawal of this notification immediately.”
Chodankar said the panchayat members along with Tourism Minister and Porvorim MLA Rohan Khaunte had called on TCP Minister Vishwajeet Rane and discussed in length about this issue.
“The TCP minister had assured us that only three structures, Assembly structure, Secretariat and the High Court would be considered for the inclusion in the NGPDA and rest of the survey numbers would be excluded.”
“The panchayat had also conveyed a special Gram Sabha on January 8, 2023, in which a resolution was adopted unanimously raising objection to the inclusion of the above surveys in the NGPDA.”
“However, the NGPDA has now published a notice on November 22 stating that there is no objection from villagers of Penha de Franca to the inclusion of all mentioned areas in the Panjim Planning area,” said Chodankar.
Chodankar insisted that whatever the TCP or NGPDA desires should be done after taking the panchayat into confidence.
“We have conveyed a special Gram Sabha on December 6 where the public notice received from NGPDA will be placed for discussion and further necessary action will be taken after taking the views of the villagers,” said Chodankar.
