More than six years after Goans kick started a genuinepeople’s movement, for a people’s regional plan to determine the future oftheir villages, it is left with an anomaly ridden notified plan, which isneither in action or scrapped. It’s officially on “hold” or in “abeyance”. Andyet it continues to be referred to for construction permissions.
As confusion runs deep and uncertainty prevails with ChiefMinister Parrikar making it clear that the issue will be looked at only whenthe mining issue is on a path to settlement, the future of construction anddevelopment is in an unplanned haphazard space.
Miguel Braganza of the Goa Bachao Abhiyan, which spearheadedthe movement for a just plan, says “The problem with abeyance is that the RP2021 still exists because it has already been notified and is in force. Freshpermissions and NOCs continue to be given despite the abeyance which we call amighty joke. Areas which do not find mention in either RP 2001 or RP 2021 arebeing converted even though such settlement change has to be gazetted. Theambiguity raises serious questions that such changes are happening with scopeof corruption.”
The Chief Town Planner ST Putturaju, is brazen on thecurrent status of the Regional Plan. “The notification (TCP order issued on June 4, 2012) is very clear whatwe can and what we can’t. Permissions will be granted accordingly.” But it it’scertainly not clear. Let’s break down the notification for readers to clearlysee where the confusions lie. (Ourcomments in brackets)
a) Allprojects, proposals based on RP-2021 to be kept in abeyance w.e.f 20.3.2012 (Common sense inference: Nonew projects will be passed after March 20, 2012)
b) Pendingdrafting and notification of fresh plan, RPG 21 will continue to be in hold (Ifnew plan will be notified, the existing RP-2021 has to be de-notified)
c) RP-2001to be used as a reference plan for land use. But FAR policy and categorisationof panchayats as per RP-2021. (How can FAR of a plan that is on hold be used.The government is playing both ways. Keeping it on hold but not de-notifying sothat parts of it can be used)
d) Land usecontrary to RP-21 will not be permitted ( point (d) contradicts (c). RP-2001 tobe used for land use, yet nothing contrary to RP 2021 will be used. This is aplanned attempt to keep RP-2021 alive in the guise of keeping it on hold)
e) Allapplications decided prior to 9.4.2012 shall be allowed to be executed. (Thisis in conflict with point (a) above. It states in point (a) that projects afterMarch 20 will not be cleared and then it says those before April 9 will becleared. So what happens to projects between March 20 and April 9? Even if theperiod is 19 days, it adds to the confusion)
What is critical to this entire exercise is that thisnotification was meant to be temporary. On July 19, 2012, Chief MinisterManohar Parrikar told the assembly “This is only a temporary measure. This isnot a permanent measure…. There’s no need to panic. After six months, a fullplan will be ready, that will be final.”
Even the Chief Town Planner admits this. He told The Goan“This is an interim arrangement till the finalisation. Only there is a timeframe until which this system will work.”. This is the key. Even as thisinterim arrangement is ridden with confusion, the administrative system in theTCP cannot prolong the period of “interim” as the Chief Minister seeks to do.
The future of the Regional Plan 2021, or whatever shape itfinally takes, as our box on page 1 describes, is mired in confusion. In March2011, Parrikar as leader of opposition wanted the plan to be suspended for sixmonths. During the campaign, as the BJP set out to woo the highly chargedCatholics in Salcette, who backed Parrikar, BJP state president LaxmikanthParsekar said “The Regional Plan will be scrapped totally.” The Governor’saddress, to the new assembly after the elections which spells out thegovernment policy stated “My government will de-notify the Regional Plan 2021and formulate one (a new one) in due consultation with all stake holders.” Thiswas perhaps the clearest and most definite and acceptable solution. As Goawaited for this, the confusing notification referred to earlier kicked intoplace which threw the entire exercise into a tailspin.
The biggest fallout of this has been the loss of the peoplestrust. Franky Monteiro, an active member of the Village Groups of Goa, whichwas solely responsible for the government to do a rethink on RP-21, states,“People were excited in formulating the RP 2021, as every village was asked toprepare a draft plan. The bigger let down was this time though. The draft plancreated was not even referred to and RP 2021 was worse than RP 2011. Theseagitations will be useless unless people's suggestions are considered.”
By delaying it further, Parrikar is creating twoFrankensteins. A chaotic planning process and a severe erosion of public trust.
