The Goa government's decision to withdraw the controversial communication sent to village panchayats, asking them to revisit the declaration of 56 villages as urban areas, has brought temporary relief to citizens. The move came only after widespread public opposition, with residents, civil society organizations, and political parties expressing fears that the exercise was intended to alter the rural character of Goa and pave the way for intensified construction and real estate development. The controversy revolves around a notification issued in 2020 that identified 56 villages for possible declaration as urban areas. Although the government then had suspended the move in the face of public protests, the notification itself was never formally withdrawn. If the government genuinely has no intention of urbanizing these villages, it should go beyond symbolic gestures and take a Cabinet decision to denotify the 2020 notification. That alone would provide lasting assurance to Goans that their villages will not be subjected to repeated attempts at urbanization. Governments should not leave contentious notifications hanging indefinitely, only to revive them when political circumstances appear favourable.
ADELMO FERNANDES, Vasco
