-------------------------------------------------------------------------- | Add your name to the CLEAN GOA INITIATIVE | | | | by visiting this link and following the instrucitons therein | | | | http://shire.symonds.net/pipermail/goanet/2005-October/033926.html | -------------------------------------------------------------------------- GOA DY CM ADDS SOME WEIGHT TO PROTESTS ON CONTROVERSIAL ZONING CHANGES
>From Pamela D'Mello The Asian Age asianage at sancharnet.in Panaji, Nov 10: Goa's deputy chief minister Dr Wilfred de Souza today sounded out his own protest against a controversial planning ordinance that concentrates powers to change land zoning in a single minister of the cabinet. The Nationalist Congress Party deputy chief minister said he would discuss the matter with Congress Chief minister Pratapsing Rane. He had signed the cabinet decision, sent around by circulation, without knowing its full implications, he said, while replying to queries on the sidelines of an official press conference today. Amendments under the September 2005 ordinance have already upset several MLAs from the ruling Congress, who see it as putting too much power in the hands of ambitious planning minister Atanasio Monserrate. The changes authorise the town planning minister to make piecemeal changes to outline development plans for urban areas -- where remaining patches of green zones face enormous pressure from developers. Additionally, it gives the department powers to approve zoning changes for villages while bypassing a 15 member planning board. The period for public objections is further reduced to a token fifteen days from two months. "It is not fair to the people of Goa" and will allow considerable environmental damage to go through in a short time, Dr de Souza said, marking his protest after weeks of prevarication. Protests against the ordinance had been building up within the Congress party, with several MLAs voicing reservations. On Tuesday, Congress deputy speaker Ms Victoria Fernandes courted arrest along with 1000 persons from her suburban constituency and several NGOs who want the ordinance scrapped. Chief Minister Pratapsing Rane himself is learnt to be against the amendments but told a delegation of NGOs he was "helpless" in the matter -- an oblique reference to the Congress' dependence on Mr Monserrate's support in its slim majority in the house. On the streets though, NGOs and village panchayat politicos who find their project approval powers usurped by the minister--- are scaling up their protests with 'jail bharo' (fill-the-jails) agitations in several areas. Actions groups are also planning to petition the president of India and move the courts to have the ordinance scapped. The ordinance though is unlikely to get the approval of legislature, Dr De Souza pointed out. (Ends)