Every other day there is news of Vishwajit Rane announcing that X / Y sq.mts. of land has been earmarked as 'no development zone', the latest being @ 1 crore sqmts in Salcete taluka being declared thus. What is not revealed by the partisan media is that this land parcel comprising of mangroves, khazans, paddy fields, ponds, river catchment area etc. was already demarcated as NDZ in the master plan. The subtext is that all this pious proclamation is just coverfire for rampant land conversion by the TCP department using the vile section 39A. As recently as June 24, the TCP has granted approval for land conversion from natural cover / orchard to settlement zone in Pernem, Canacona and Bardez, not surprisingly the land use modification applications were filed by builders. If one visits Karapur which lies in the Poriem assembly constituency where a Mumbai realty major is building a mini township with the blessings of the sarkar, you will be treated to the sight of mass ecocide. Let's not even talk about wholesale slaughter of biodiversity here. If the BJP government really has the best interests of Goa at heart it should annul section 39A and cancel all approvals with retrospective effect.
VINAY DWIVEDI, Benaulim
