For favour of publication.Thanks,
Averthanus
_____
Continuing SEZures.
Averthanus L.D'Souza.
The physical and cultural integrity of Goa is under serious
threat not only from the land sharks in India, but also from abroad. In a
recent internet advertisement one finds that international property
development company David Stanley Redfern has launched it's latest Asian
project, the sprawling Peace Valley in Goa.
According to the information provided, the township covers
55,125 square metres at Sirvoi, Quepem and consists of 23 villas and 174
apartments. The units range from one to five rooms and are set in a
guarded (n.b.) communal neighbourhood with swimming pools, golf course,
tennis court, running track and horse stables.(n.b.) The landscaped
development also features children's playground and a club house with gym
and sauna. Plans are also in place (n.b.) for a Peace Valley flying club
which will give residents a facility for the use of micro and ultra-light
aircrafts.
The advertisement in question gives the impression that these
elaborate plans have already been approved - otherwise there would have been
no point in advertising the development.
The Government of Goa needs to inform the citizens about the
allocation of 55,125 square metres of land to a foreign developer, and how
permission was given for the development of an entire township including
facilities for a flying club for the residents to use micro and ultra-light
aircrafts. Has the concerned Department of the Government of Goa obtained
the necessary clearance from the Ministry of Civil Aviation, Government of
India and from the Airports Authority of India to set up a flying club in
Sirvoi ?
The more serious question that arises for the citizens of Goa is
what are the norms which are applied for the sanctioning of such large
townships to non-Indian developers. Also will Indian estate developers be
accorded the same facilities?
Land is one of the scarcest resources in the small State of Goa.
It has to be used with the greatest of prudence and in a way that will not
prove to be counter-productive in the long run. No scientific and
systematic studies have been made of the land use patterns in Goa and the
ratio of land use between agricultural, horticultural, commercial and
industrial purposes. To the common citizen it appears that the Government
of Goa has been allocating land for various uses on an ad-hoc and completely
unscientific basis. The land use is being determined by powerful business,
commercial and industrial lobbies. The forest cover in Goa is being
depleted at an alarming rate. The ground water resources are being
exploited haphazardly without any provision for replenishment. Mangroves
have been devastated for commercial purposes without any concern for the
ecological impact that this is having and is going to have in the long term.
The beautiful hills of Goa are being systematically leveled for short term
economic gains, which will have long-term negative effects.
The most obvious and frightening spectre facing the citizens of
Goa is the utterly arbitrary manner in which land, natural resources and the
environment of Goa are being decimated in a senseless manner. In spite of
public agitations, the different Departments of the Government continue to
function in an altogether irresponsible and reprehensible manner.
One glaring fact that emerges from the confusing picture is that
each Department of the Government works in complete isolation from the
others. What the tourism department does is unknown to the Infrastructure
Development (of the PWD). The formation of various Corporations have only
further added to the confusion. The Cabinet does not appear to be a
cohesive body which controls all aspects of government. Each Minister does
what he pleases and the Chief Minister appears to be completely out of
control. The excuse that certain projects were initiated by a previous
Government does not hold any water. Government is a continuous process and
the Government which is in power at the moment simply has to accept
responsibility for whatever is happening. If errors were made by a previous
Government, those errors should be corrected; if wrong decisions were made,
they should be rectified. It is not enough to pass the blame, as is done
regularly by succeeding governments in Goa.
The first and topmost priority of the Digambar Kamat Government
should be to completely overhaul the different institutions of government.
Many of the unnecessary Corporations which were set up without adequate
thought should be scrapped, and the functions which were allocated to them
should be restored to the Departments. The functioning of the Departments
should be upgraded and their functioning should be made efficient. The
hallmark of the government bureaucracy is inefficiency and lethargy. This
needs to be attended to with the utmost urgency.
The citizens of Goa need to know from the Chief Minister how a
developer like David Stanley Redfern has placed international advertisements
for his project the Peace Valley in Sirvoi, Quepem, Goa. Has this Peace
Valley project been approved by the Goa Government? Details should be
provided to the citizens.
Averthanus L. D'Souza,
D-13, La Marvel Colony,
Dona Paula, Goa 403 004.
Tel: (0832) 2453628.
