Gomantak Times, 30 April 2008, Editorial Seize the Day!
Aldona is the latest sign of democracy in action On Sunday the gram sabha of Aldona village passed a resolution forcing the panchayat to withdraw all permissions granted to Acron builders who have plans to construct six three-storey villas of 293 square metres each at Carona in the village. The selling priceof each apartment is Rs 1.75 crore, but that is another issue. Although questions have been raised about the dates of the permissions -- for example, the construction licence was granted by the panchayat before the conversion sanad was issued -- the present situation is that a builder who has all the permissions, at least most of them, has stopped work because the people of the village are not happy that a portion of land is being converted into luxury houses for rich folks from outside the state. One of the issues raised by those against the construction is that the builder has no licence to cut the hill. This is perhaps the serious charge levelled against the builder who claims that excavation for the foundation has been misconstrued as hill cutting. In the present instance, the will of the majority has prevailed over rights of the builder and owner, resulting in a triangle of interests -- the landowner wants to develop his land and make some money (nothing wrong in that), the peopl of Aldona want to preserve the pristine beauty and environment of the village and the builder sees a huge potential in the land for generating huge profits The question: How does one resolve this contentious issue? Whose interest should take precedence? Alternately, is there a middle ground that can ensure good returns for the landowner, the builder and the people? There are no easy answers. Firstly, it would be wrong to view the Aldona issue in isolation. Whether we like it or not, it is connected to the larger issue of over-development and influx of migrants that Goa is still grappling with. If it were just an issue of hill cutting, then a license from the Town and Country Planning Department should settle the issue provided the gradient is less than 25 per cent. We are afraid it is not that simple. The larger issue concerns the meagre land resources in the state and its judicious use. And who is the best person to determine how land is used in Goa? Over the last decade or so, politicians have proved to be the most unreliable custodians of land. In fact, the government is the largest broker in in the state. So with polticians having lost the trust of the people on this count, the only option available is to seize power back from them, at least on crucial issues. The on1y way out, as we see it, is by introducing down-top planning process where people have a say in the future of their village. The best way of preserving our way of life is by placing certain vital elements in the hands of the community. In the present three-tier political set-up this means major decisions that are going to effect the village at large must be discussed, debated and voted on by the gram sabha. This approach will put curbs and landowners and builders in the short term. However, in the long term all will stand to benefit. If builders believe that they also have a stake in Goa then they should insist that their plans be passed at a gram sabha. Goa is moving from and era of over-development which was driven by vested interests to controlled progress which is people friendly. The sooner this happens, the better it will be for all. -- Question everything -- Karl Marx