Well, it is the 4th Anniversary of Goa Bachao Abhiyan. "Time to take stock of how much we have achieved and what needs to be done." states an e-mail.
It further goes to state the objectives for which it was formed. "The main cause that led to the formation of GBA was the objection to the mass conversion of land for construction in the Regional Plan 2011 which was a threat to the identity and sustainability of Goa. . The main demands raised were 1) revocation of the Regional Plan 2011 2) Formulation of a new Plan by a participatory process as per the 73rd and 74th amendment of the Constitution." It goes on to claim that, "The first objective was achieved in 2007. All of us who were part of this movement take great pride in recounting this success story." No one will deny this achievement of objective No. 1. GBA admits that it is still struggling with its objective No. 2. However, it conveniently seems to be pushing the blame on the government. If at all the government has suceeded in bull dozing its own understanding about particiapatory planning, it is definitely GBA that must carry the blame for the betrayal of the people for the following reasons; 1. GBA's top brass began playing footsie with the Government no sooner the Margao based Digambar Kamat took over the reigns in june 2007. From then on the effort was on how to cultivate a cooperative role with the government where people opposing government policies began to be looked at as anarchists. 2. The report of the workshop held in August 2007 at Goa International Centre to develop clarity on the Way forward for GBA vis a vis the Regional planning process was strangely made to disappear from GBA's future agendas. 3. When it came to tackling the Goa Town & Country Planning Act 1975 before allowing the government to proceed with a new RP, the architects and engineers within GBA seemed to get terribly nervous and began diverting attention. Thereby, the very instrument that gave birth to the infamous RP2011 was deliberately allowed to continue. 4. The conditions were further worsened with the controversial amendments to section 16 & 16A of the TCP Act and GBA besides mere noises did nothing to get the government to strike it down. The top brass began sabotaging any inititative that would cause inconvenience to the government. 5. The situation was even further worsened with the notification of the Outline Development Plans and what was very interesting is that GBA cheered the people in participating in this parallel planning process. Thus the GBA has allowed scope for a parallel planning process for Goa which is not bound by the RP 2021. 6. Besides being part of the Task Force on RP, GBA has not contributed anything concrete as regards the model of participatory planning that needed to be reflected in the draft report of the TF. The GBA convenor is a signatory to the draft RP 2021 thereby endorsing the planning process for the government. 7. The GBA cheered the people to participate in the consultative process on the RP 2021 instead of questioning the process. At no point did GBA reject this consultative process as not being in accordance with the participatory planning process in the 73rd and 74th Amendment. Thereby GBA has indirectly endorsed the process followed by the government. 8. Thereafter, it has been GBA which was in a hurry that the government notify the RP 2021. Now the noises being made about not inviting suggestions is all for entertainment. The vested interests in GBA have entertained the people all this while and have ensured that the real estate interests are protected. GBA is the biggest fraud on the people which has been kept alive by builder and mining interests after the scrapping of RP 2011. Goans should not complain now. They have indirectly endorsed the present RP 2021 and are not entitled to any scope for further suggestions as per the TCP Act which GBA has preserved. All this was done inspite of cautioning from time to time. -Soter
