In a democracy it is the will of the people that should always prevail. The Town & Country Planning Minister Vijai Sardesai should immediately scrap the entire newly formed needless Greater Panaji Planning and Development Authority and lay to rest the issue which has rightly been agitated by concerned citizens. It is no secret that this new PDA was created by Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar out of political expediency only to reward and accommodate Babush Monseratte. With Vijai Sardesai having now agreed to exclude all villages Kadamba Plateau should also go. What remains is Taleigao and it would be prudent to allow the locals through a Gram Sabha to decide their way ahead. The Taleigao BJP Block has already strongly opposed the inclusion into the PDA.
The people rightly have serious apprehensions about the Chairman of the Greater Panaji PDA. Babush Monserratte in January 2005 was stripped of the Town & Country Planning portfolio by Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar for having committed large scale and rampant illegalities in conversion of land. Later due to his very controversial Regional Plan 2011 which led to a huge uproar and public outrage, Babush Monserratte in January 2007 was forced to resign as Town & Country Planning Minister. Babush Monserratte has also committed very serious criminal offences involving moral turpitude and stands charge sheeted by the CBI in the Panaji Police Station storming case while the alleged rape case against him is also pending probe before the Crime Branch. Besides his deep rooted links with the land mafia, Babush Monserratte has huge land banks within the jurisdiction of this newly Greater Panaji PDA. We cannot allow the accelerated destruction and devastation of the remaining hills and fields in these villages. On the vexed issue of the Regional Plan it would be prudent for Vijai Sardesai to constitute a five member committee of reputed expert Planners to advise the government on the way forward. The Town and Country Planning Minister should also consider undoing his very flawed decision of appointing three Chief Town Planners for our State. To ensure administrative efficiency and accountability it is imperative that every department has one head. Two Deputy Chief Town Planners could have been appointed one for the North and the other for the South. I would like to remind Vijai Sardesai that our body organs can be transplanted but the damage being done to our pristine hills and fields is irreversible. Our invaluable heritage on the Kadamba Plateau is being crushed right under his eyes. Vijai Sardesai needs to rise to the occasion and act as a Statesman otherwise he may never be forgiven for having willfully abandoned Goem, Goenkar and Goenkarponn. Over to you Vijai bab. Aires Rodrigues Advocate High Court C/G-2, Shopping Complex Ribandar Retreat, Ribandar – Goa – 403006 Mobile No: 9822684372 Office Tel No: (0832) 2444012 Email: [email protected] Or [email protected] You can also reach me on Facebook.com/ AiresRodrigues Twitter@rodrigues_aires www.airesrodrigues.com
