To Goanet -
****** Soter D'Souza GBA Core Team Member THE SILENCE OF GBA IS FRIGHTENING We the People need to Know. We the People are no shit. With the interim report on the RP 2021 due to be out any moment there are several questions the Goa Bachao Abhiyan needs to answer considering that it was formed to ensure that the RP for Goa follows the basic requisites of planning. 1. What is the GBA's position about the Goa Regulation of Land Development And Building Construction) Bill 2008 which seeks to take away the controls of the Panchayats and Municipalities over construction matters. Under this Act the land development and construction rules will be decided under a seperate Act and imposed on the local bodies. While the builders will stand to benefit, the people in the villages are bound to be the losers. This is exactly the issue over which the people of Carmona, Benaulim, Aldona and Siridao are battling against. Who decides what development is good and the extent of development to take place in Goa's villages? When the issue was raised at a GBA meeting it was promised that legal opinion would be taken on this matter. This was when the first ordinance was promulgated almost 6 months ago. Subsequently, a second ordinance was issued. And now the Bill has been passed but there is no sign of any opinion as yet. One definitely would like to know where GBA stands on this matter? 2. It is over a forthnight ago that the Goa Town And Country Planning (Amendment) Bill, 2008 was passed. Besides a press note protesting against the amendments of section 16 and 16A there has been no further action on this matter. Where does GBA stand as far as this matter is concerned? 3. There was an almost unanimous opinion that the TCP Act 1975 in its present form could not be accepted, more so in light of the 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendments. What has GBA done to ensure that the TCP Act is either repealed or suitably amended to ensure that Goa's village resources are protected from prowling real estate developers? 4. Article 243ZD of the Constitution requires that planning in the jurisdiction of local bodies be carried out through District Planning Committees. The DPCs are in place but no duties have been assigned to them. It appears that the RP 2021 is going to be formulated without the participation of the DPCs in the planning process, which in other words means without the involvement of Village Panchayats in the planning policy of the State. Where does GBA stand in regards to this? 5. The destruction of hill slopes and other environmentally sensitive zones continues to occur in several villages at the behest of real estate developers. What has the GBA done to influence government policy on this matter? 6. The ODPs are being formulated even while the RP 2021 is yet to be formulated. Planners are of the firm opinion that ODPs are but a magnified reflection of the RP. Who are the builders and planners on the TF who are advocating that ODPs have nothing to do with the RP? What is GBA's view on the on-going process of preparing ODPs? The people of Goa definitely need to know what is the progress on these above mentioned fronts which are all linked to the TCP Act and the Regional Plan and the constitutionally assigned tasks of people's participation in the planning process. More so in the event that GBA has passionately taken up a new subject of mining recently. Does it mean that the purpose for which it was formed, namely people's role in the RP planning process for conserving Goa has been accomplished? Soter D'Souza GBA Core Team Member ******
