*Click here to sign the petition <https://www.change.org/p/chief-justice-of-india-chief-minister-of-goa-governor-of-goa-chief-secretary-of-goa-denotify-and-scrap-goa-regional-plans-and-odps-2021?recruiter=441339674&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=copylink>*
*https://www.change.org/p/chief-justice-of-india-chief-minister-of-goa-governor-of-goa-chief-secretary-of-goa-denotify-and-scrap-goa-regional-plans-and-odps-2021?recruiter=441339674&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=copylink <https://www.change.org/p/chief-justice-of-india-chief-minister-of-goa-governor-of-goa-chief-secretary-of-goa-denotify-and-scrap-goa-regional-plans-and-odps-2021?recruiter=441339674&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=copylink>* *The petition is as follows:* *DO GOANS ACCEPT **THE GOA RP 2021?* The people of Goa are demanding that the Goa Regional Plan 2021 and ODP be denotified and scrapped. BJP, in its 2012 Assembly Election Manifesto had promised the people of Goa that they would scrap the RP 2021. They have made a U-turn on this promise. On the Govt's directions, TCP has sent the Regional Plans to the Taluka TCP Office and has kept the plans open for the public for 30 days, for their suggestions and objections. But the TCP had not incorporated the 3000 odd suggestions/objections they had received over the years in these plan. When the finals plans are released, goans will not be able to raise any further objections. Therefore it is very clear that there is absolutely no transparency in the entire process. *DO GOANS BELIEVE THAT THE RPs AND ODPs ARE MADE IN THE INTEREST OF GOA AND GOANS?* >From a scientific point of view, many of the Zones declared in the Regional Plan are contradictory to ground reality and thus they will have an adverse impact on the environment. The TCP has not taken any data from the Forest Department, Agricultural Department, Biodiversity and the Heritage Departments. Thus Khazan land (wetlands), forest, CRZ heritage zones, wild life sanctuaries etc have not been represented in the plans. Buffer zones have also not been marked. All this will lead to encroachments on environmentally sensitive zones. In addition, the Regional Plans do not show open spaces even though much of the Commundade land falls under grazing ground/open spaces. Such areas as well as areas like hill tops are shown as settlement/orchard even though the TCP knows very well that development on these areas could destroy the aquifers underneath. The Urban and Rural Plans do not have any scientific bases. They have been created in connivance with the construction lobby. Many villages had demanded that the width of the village road be restricted to 5 meters. Instead, village roads are shown as 10 meters (proposed roads); a criteria required for constructions of mega projects. Many houses, walls and trees will have to be wiped off in order to accommodate these proposed roads. Most modern cities implement ribbon development where plots along a major road is marked under a uniform zone. If it is a commercial road, all the plots will be marked as commercial and if it is a settlement zone, all the plots will be marked as settlement. However, in Goa, zones on such plots are marked arbitrarily. No new parks and open spaces have been proposed. *IS THE GOVT LISTENING TO THE PEOPLE?* Many of the suggestions which were resolved in the Panchayat and Gramsabhas have not been incorporated in some villages where as in others, suggestions have been implemented which are a complete violation of environmental laws. At present, many gram sabhas want their village plan to be sent to the Panchayat before it is notified. This would have allowed the gram sabha to discuss and make decisions in the interest of the entire village. The BJP Govt, however, refused to send the plans back to the village. *IS RP 2021 ANOTHER BIG LAND SCAM?* When former CM's relative Pinky Lawande was raided this year, the authorities found many files related to conversion. They even found evidence that he charged Rs 300 per square meter for manipulating zones. It is common sense that he is not the only agent involved in land conversions. It is obvious that the exiting Regional Plan could have been manipulated by such agents working with corrupt TCP officials. *WHAT WE ARE DEMANDING AND WHY ?* The Government has to denotify and scrap the regional plan. They have to re-initiate the process taking into account all the environmental data, heritage data, communidade data etc. These plans have to be sent to the village Panchayats/Gramsabhas for verification, after which it can be notified. We have all seen the flooding in Mumbai and Chennai which is a man made disaster due to unplanned development. Goans do not want this from ever happening in Goa. Our petition is that the Regional Plan and Outline Development Plan be denotified and scraped and the process be re-initiated in the interest of the people. -- *AATavares* *Phone : 9657210949*
