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Goanet mourns the passing of Jorge de Abreu Noronha in Portugal - Nov 27/07 http://tinyurl.com/2dk2bl http://tinyurl.com/29kpdx --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dear Editor, After visiting the heritage sites at Old Goa, the Chief Minister announced that he was going to appoint a "panel" to implement the Master Plan for Old Goa. He took particular care to mention that a representative of the Archdiocese of Goa would be on that panel. There was no indication of what the "Master Plan" for Old Goa is, and when it was drawn up. There was no indication of how this Master Plan fits into the overall Regional Plan for Goa, 2021 which is yet to be formulated. Is there any information available about what this Master Plan for Old Goa is; who formulated it, and when? What is the budget involved? One can understand that politicians are expected to say something (the Chief Minister is no exception) on all occasions when the Press is present. Most often these are empty promises which the citizens know to be meaningless. However, a Master Plan for Old Goa is something special and immediately arouses a great deal of curiosity among the people, because they want to ensure that the precincts of Old Goa are not sullied by commercial and/or industrial considerations. When the Chief Minister announces in public that there is in existence a Master Plan for Old Goa, he should have had the courtesy to provide at leas the minimum information of what the Master Plan involved, when it was prepared and by whom. In normal circumstances, any specific plans for a specific area should be part of an overall Regional Plan. There are other heritage areas, apart from Old Goa, and the Regional Plan for 2021 should dedicate special attention to these areas, to ensure that unwanted developments do not tarnish the ambiance and the aesthetics of these heritage sites. The Chief Minister's office should provide the citizens with some more details about the so-called Master Plan which he intends to implement. Is there a time-frame for the implementation? What is the budget involved? And who will be responsible for the actual execution of the work? Yours truly, Averthanus L. D'Souza, D-13, La Marvel Colony, Dona Paula, Goa 403 004. Tel: (0832) 2453628.