At a meeting held at the residence of Ms Victoria Fernandes MLA Santa Cruz this evening in the presence of members of Village Panchayats NGO's Ms Fernandes briefed those present on a) her meeting with the Chief Minister on 15th December, 2005 alongwith the Chairman Santa Cruz Constituency Action Committee and this writer b) Congress Legislature Party meeting held today
Ms Fernandes told the members that the CM has reiterated once again that all revenue villages excluding Taleigao will be removed from the PDAs. The file to that effect has been moved and the notification to that can be expected by 20th December, 2005. This was also confirmed from the Law Department and the TCP office Town Planner the dealing hand in this matter. Mr Rane assured her that the Sub Registrar Panaji (who was on leave today) would be directed not to insist on NOC's for registering documents sale deeds ect from the NGPDA as in principle the Government has already agreed to scrap all revenue villages (exluding Taleigao) from the PDA's. As regards the ordinance Mr Rane re-assured that it is a dead issue and that repeal of the ordinance is a mere procedural aspect and is awaiting the legal opinion of Mr U V Bakre the ex Judge who has now taken over as the Law Secretary Government of Goa. Mr Rane also stated that having recieved directives from the High Command there was no going back on these directions and hence the scrapping of the ordinance is obvious and a fore gone conclusion. The next issue taken up was the extension of time for examining the draft regional plan 2011. She once again demanded that the Panchayats and Municipalities should be permitted to examine the plan at the village level in accordance with the 73rd and 74th amendment to the Constitution which empowers the people in matters of development. She also objected to the scale 1:25,000 and with this it was not clear what activity would come up in the villages. She stated that most party MLA's vociferously opposed the extension prominent among them was Mr Dayanand Narvekar Mr Luizinho Faleiro Mr Joaquim Alemao who felt that the projects under their respective portfolios would suffer, viz the IT park the Food Processing Park etc; Ms Fernandes however stated that she stood her ground and refused to accept the Regional Plan in its present form which was not upto scale and could not spell out clearly what the Plan holds in store for the respective villages. She pointed out that while the previous Government gave two months amidst another unrest then caused by the inclusion of revenue villages of Salcete in the Margao PDA, her Party has during the agitation to scrap the ordinance and the inclusion of revenue villages in the PDAs quietly extended the time for receiving comments from the persons likely to be affected by the Regional Plan 2011. In any case when the RP 2001 was redundant for the past four years the Government did not find it easy to change the zoning and therefore it could continue until this Plan is thoroughly examined by all village Panchayats. Hence she demanded that the Plan be made available for another few months until 31st March 2005. She said the TCP Board would review the same at its meeting on 27th December, 2005. She stated that she warned the Party members at the CLP that her supporters were ready to stage a fresh agitation if need be and this time the Government would be caught on the wrong foot. However she did not clarify to the Party the type of agitation stating that it would be the first of its kind in the history of Goa. Following the above all the Panchas other NGOs and like, minded citizens have decided to hold Gram Sabhas on 19th December, 2005 at all Village Panchayats giving the Government a clear notice that the Village Panchayat of Goa in public interest condemn and strongly object to the Regional Plan 2011 in its present form since the Plan was not made available to the Panchayats. Immediate contacts will be established with Panchayats in all the 11 Talukas and based on this the resolutions will be moved. All those present agreed to ensure that atleast two village Panchayats in each taluka move the resolution to force the Government to act. Most of the members expressed disgust over the functioning of the present Government and the unholy intentions of the MLA's who niether come out openly or against the issues involved, giving an impression that the present dispensation is out to rip the Treasury for their own personal gains. The meeting ended with a firm resolve that the forces be mobilized for a final show down if the Government dilly dally's on the issue any longer. Ms Fernandes is likely to leave for New Delhi in a day or two to present a report on Child development which will be deliberated by Parliament later. In the meanwhile the South Goa Public Interest Action Group NGO has decided to investigate into the credentials of the Consulting Engineering Services Limited Mew Delhi for their expertise and past experience on Town and Country Planning and preparation of Regional Plans,through its sources in New Delhi as the Regional Plan 2011 does not appear to be a professional excercise, the Plan it is observed has marked out state/taluka/panchayat/National State Highway/ existing and proposed/major District roads/other roads/Konkan railway/Railway line (SR/waterbody/mines/salt pans/mangroves/Fish farm/Fishing Centre/Government Forest/Natural cover/Tourist Places/Beaches/Defence Area/Social Forest/Orchard/Pasture Land/Cultivable land/institutional area/Estates/Sandy area/Conservation area/Special Economic Zone. Surprisingly in the legend the Special Economic Zone is shown twice and there is no authentication on the date when the Plan was prepared and draft finalised, Given the paucity of time one could well change the final plan given the hurry in which it is intended to be cleared. It may be recalled that this writer visited the India Habitat in New Delhi and met some senior officials of the Town & Country Planning on the issue and they were unanimous on one point that every regional Plan should be examined in the light of the changing demographic pattern viz; census 2001 and the 73rd and 74th Constitutional amendment involving the people at the grass root levels to decide what is best for them and not leave it to a bunch of "law makers" to decide what is best for the State. from the Santa Cruz end Godfrey J I Gonsalves Borda Margao Goa [EMAIL PROTECTED] Send instant messages to your online friends http://in.messenger.yahoo.com -------------------------------------------------------------------------- | Goa - 2005 Santosh Trophy Champions | | | | Support Soccer Activities at the grassroots in our villages | | Vacationing in Goa this year-end - Carry and distribute Soccer Balls | --------------------------------------------------------------------------
