Elvidio requested me to forward his letter for publication. Stephen Dias, Dona Paula 18.2.2018
SAVE SANTA CRUZ Elvidio Miranda The people of Santa Cruz are against the inclusion of their village in the Greater Panaji Planning Development Authority. The wishes of the people has to be respected. Even the local MLA, Tony Fernandes is pledging allegiance to the exclusion of Santa Cruz from the GPPDA. The rustic charm of Santa Cruz has to be preserved because this is the wish of the people. We do not want Santa Cruz becoming another concrete jungle but Santa Cruz has to remain a village since this is the express wish of the people of Santa Cruz. Merely because of political compulsion in which reward is to be given for someone who has supported the government, it does not mean that these compulsions should take precedence over the wishes of the people who want their land preserved in the present form. Real estate development is a fast way to make money, but supporting agriculture and other natural rustic ways of life is a slow and steady process that takes time and does not mean making a fast buck. Also once the cultivable land has been turned into concrete jungles, there is no way back and that land is lost for agricultural activities from then on. The people of Santa Cruz has greatly opposed the Greater Panaji Planning Developing Authority from engulfing Santa Cruz and destroying their rustic abode. The wishes of the people have to be heeded to. Politicians have been going against their word after promises made to the people in their manifesto. In a democracy, the people are the clinching factor and their wishes have to be respected.
