Dears,
If you are a Goan or living in Goa, this is ON TOPIC for you.
The Goa Town and Country Planning (Amendment) Bill, 2008 [Bill 14 of 2008]
has been granted permission of the house and been introduced in the Goa
Legislative Assembly in the Budget session ending 28 March, 2008. It may soon
become an ORDINANCE to facilitate the construction of the road by the
Government of Goa through the property currently owned by M/s R.N.S. Bandekar
[or Bandekar Brothers Pvt Ltd] at Cothombi [Kotumbi]village, in Pale
Constituency of Bicholim taluka. This act under the Land Aquisition Act,1894 is
to facilitate an approach/access road for the jetty under construction by
Alcon Cement Co Pvt Ltd and the proposed jetty to be built by Counto Metals &
Mining Co Pvt Ltd, which is mainly meant for import and export of iron ore,
cement, slag, coke and coal. No prizes for guessing the connection with the
proposed Minor Sea Port near the historic Terekhol Fort, Kerim -Tiracol village
panchayat [one of the 'selected' villages for the proposed 'pilot' project
of the Task Force on RP 2021 through the Centre for Panchayati Raj this month].
If this is one example of the type of PROJECTS that will be legally OUTSIDE
the scope of the Regional Plan 2021, do we need a Regional Plan at all. Unless
the Amendment Bill is withdrawn in toto the Regional Plan 2021 or any future
regional plan makes no sense. The SEZs are GIDC's projects and the IT Parks are
the IT Departments projects and hotels may well be Tourism Dept. projects
....and all of these projects can be wet-leased or dry-leased, while we look on
with gaping mouths saying "GO ...... AAHH!"
Mog asundi.
Miguel
Land acquisition to benefit private parties?
BY HERALD REPORTER
PANJIM, MARCH 30 Can the government acquire land to facilitate a private
company to enhance their business interest?
One may not agree but Zuari Industries Ltd has moved the court alleging that
the government was in the process of acquiring part of its land in Sancoale to
hand it over to a Delhi-based top construction firm.
Another similar case has come to light wherein Bandekar Brothers Pvt Ltd have
alleged that the government is acquiring part of its land at Cothombi village,
Pale in Bicholim taluka to facilitate an approach/access road for the jetty
under construction by Alcon Cement Co Pvt Ltd and the proposed jetty to be
built by Counto Metals & Mining Co Pvt Ltd, which is mainly meant for import
and export of iron ore, cement, slag, coke and coal.
In a writ petition filed in the Bombay High Court Bandekars, who are in the
mining business for more than 30 years, have pointed out that the land
acquisition is being done under the garb of public purpose although the
approach road is going to benefit the private party.
According to the petitioner, the road for which land was acquired was to be the
approach road for the project of the private firm. Alcons also had plans to set
up a cement factory at Surla in survey No 191/5.
The petitioner has prayed that the notification on land acquisition be quashed
and set aside and so also the No Objection Certificate issued by the Captain
of Ports for construction of a jetty.
The case goes back to the point when Alcon Cement applied to Directorate of
Mines for acquisition of the land for approach road after which the under
secretary (revenue) recommended that the process be initiated. Two months
later, the Rane Cabinet took a decision for acquisition of the land.
Accordingly, Captain of Ports granted NOC to Alcon Cement to construct a jetty
in survey No 27/12 of Cothambi village. A couple of months later, the
government issued a notification under Section 4 of Land Acquisition Act which
was later objected to by the Bandekars.
According to the petitioner, Alcon started work on the jetty in survey No
27/12 for which they started using the then existing road. Some months later, a
notification under Section 6 of the Act was issued by the government.
Pending the hearing of the petition, the Bandekars have sought for a stay on
the implementation of the notification of land acquisition.
In a writ petition filed in the Bombay High Court Bandekars, who are in the
mining business for more than 30 years, have pointed out that the land
acquisition is being done under the garb of public purpose although the
approach road is going to benefit the private party.
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