As GBA completes 3 years, there is all reason to analyse the post-RP 2011 scenario. Same planning laws in place, TCP dept.and PDAs in complete command, village panchayats continue to be side-lined, and construction on hill slopes as well as hill cutting and land filling goes on unabated. Those professionals connected with the real estate industry but pretend that their heart bleeds to Save Goa are also part and parcel in the attempts to bleed and rape Goa. While Aldeia and DLF are a problem there is not a whimper of protests against Chowgules, Nanus, Prabhus, Dempos, CD and a host of local real estate plunderers who erect massive concrete jungles all over the place. Some village based activists were surprised when at a meeting called by jittery GBA to forge an alliance with village groups, a prominent architect of Save Goa fame tried to introduce the idea that ground plus one gated multi-housing projects with swimming pools are OK in villages. Seeing the reaction from the villagers the architect was forced to withdraw to the background but not from influencing various government's pro-real estate policies. Such is the miserable fate of GBA that is a rudderless ship drifting aimlessly on the high seas being blown by fraudsters. GBA has no problem with real estate development, a fact stated publicly. It seems to have a problem with the Gram Sabha deciding the fate of real estate. Justice systems do not operate on emotions, it is the letter of the law that defines the legality or illegality of an action, not even the spirit of the law unless well defined or else will be left to the manipulation of the justice systems as is the present case. But as RP 2021 gets ready for its launch by january 2010, assisted by real estate developers and some professionals of Save Goa fame, the TCP laws and larger development policies remain untouched by GBA. There is no demand from GBA for strict implementation of District Plans by District Planning Committees as required under article 243ZD of the Constitution of India. The obvious reason, the TCP Act is like free size knickers that can be made to fit any client of some Save Goa architects and civil engineeers. GBA's lack of vision, well defined objectives and absence of strategies has also assumed the form of the TCP Act, free size knickers No 100 plus. The brand label is made to fit anywhere and anyone depending on the promptings from some Save Goa architects and civil engineers. As GBA looks at the way forward without a well defined path from the past, all one can expect is another era of entertainment for unsuspecting Goans until the RP 2021 becomes final. In restrospect the question that now gets asked is: was the anti-RP 2011 a design of small and medium scale real estate stake holders to ward off the threat from mega real estate developers that had managed to get their way in the RP 2011 or was it a genuine concern for the protection and concervation of Goa's ecology? Let actions speak not words. If the Save Goa architects and civil engineers are genuinely concerned for the welfare of Goans let them stop designing any construction projects on hill slopes and refuse mega projects of more that 8 flats in a village. Let them attack the TCP and PDAs which are the root cause of Goa's pain and rape. We Goans have been taken for granted for too long and the time has come to uproot these forces who systematically block public spaces to prevent change. These are Birthday Wishes to GBA from those accused as saffron lobby by the migrant conman and patron saint of GBA.in an attempt to give cover to the fraudsters. Truth shall prevail.
-Soter D'souza
