Of mega projects and village level uprisings!
That people are vigilant is a good thing that is happening in Goa, according
to Goa's former chief secretary J C Almeida.
It is time to take a closer look at the definition of development. It is not
construction of high-rise buildings and concrete jungles that can be deemed
as development. It is providing basic facilities like good roads, reliable
water and power supply etc, he said.
"Let villages continue to be there the way they have always been." The TCP
should also do a survey of all villages for ascertaining their composition
and development, he suggested.
The entire fault in Goa's planning process is the interference of money that
is destroying Goan land, Almeida said.
It is also extremely important to protect agricultural lands and introduce
agriculture reforms. The Task Force should also demarcate agriculture land
that should not be changed for non-agriculture purpose.
Former president of All Goa Panchayat Parishad Tomazinho Cardozo said the
people's protest is that panchayats are keeping the people in the dark about
mega projects coming up in their jurisdiction and the fear of demographic
changes.
There is lack of transparency in the functioning of local bodies and
government. With the current rate of influx, Goans will be a minority after
a few years. The gram sabha is an instrument to stop this menace. He however
cautioned that gram sabhas should not be misused by brute majority by vested
interests. About sale of land, Cardozo who was the sarpanch of Candolim for
18 years before becoming the Speaker of Goa Assembly, said it's a misfortune
that some landowners are selling land to outsiders just for the lure of
money.
Spokesman of Goa Hith-Rakhand Manch Prashant Naik said if the government
doesn't put any restrictions on sale of land to non-Goans, Goans will be a
minority by 2020 if not before. "I fear that there will be Assam-like
situation after a few years," the former student leader said.
Goa cannot take any more mega projects, he said asserting that the so-called
developments taking place in the State are detrimental to Goans and Goa at
large. "If this is not stopped, Goa's identity will be totally wiped out."
He however cautioned that under the pretext of stopping mega projects, some
hoodlums try to extort money from small project promoters.
Advocate Amrut Kansar feels that the present struggle in the State is on
account of non-adherence to legislative process. Neither the MLAs nor the
panchayat members are functioning in the manner they should.
People have realized that the elected representatives are not concerned
about the people and are failing to work for the people at the grass root
level, the former MP said.
Agreeing that people have woken up to the need of the hour, Kansar opined
that people should insist on implementation in the true spirit of the 73rd
constitutional amendment.
Dr Claude Alvares of Goa Foundation said that the recent uprisings in the
State draws back memories of agitations against the Thappar Du Pont plant at
Keri-Ponda in 1994 where for the first time a gram sabha forced its
panchayat to decide against the plant.
Fourteen years later, Dr Claude Alvares believes that gram sabhas alone can
bring about transparency and accountability in alleged incompetent
panchayats.
The TCP treats panchayats like dirt and panchayats in turn operate on old
habits of being allowed to succumb to corrupt practices. If educated people
take charge of panchayats there would be a far different situation.
The present uprisings were long overdue as people are upset over mass scale
projects invading their areas. In Siridao, wells are dry and people have a
right to be angry as they have an equal right to get supply of water, power
and other facilities first.
Dr Alvares also said that people are also upset over mass scale hill cutting
over which the TCP is not taking any serious punitive action against the
offenders.
Tulio De Souza past chairman of the Indian Institute of Architects - Goa
Chapter and practicing architect said the State has to follow a hierarchy in
planning with an overall Regional Plan with a provision and flexibility for
the local self bodies to engage in micro planning within their respective
areas. This in turn can be done with the involvement of the people at the
grass root level.
Once the urban own level map is formulated, the infrastructure work should
immediately follow for proper implementation of such a plan. This
infrastructure should precede the secondary development work being
undertaken by the publicprivate sector.
It is good that there is a lot of awareness among local people, but it
should not lead to confusion, Tulio said pointing out that a legally
approved project cannot be stopped unless found ultra virus to the law.
People are probably expressing their sentiments in such a forceful manner
because the government is not doing anything to address their apprehensions.
Architect Dean D'Cruz who is a part of the Task Force in preparing the
Regional Plan 2021 was of the opinion that the State was operating on
outdated bye-laws which had been taken advantage of by project promoters,
leading to uncontrolled development.
"People are reacting the way they are for a genuine reason that the large
scale development is not catering to infrastructure and instead pressurizing
it further."
The project developers should use their profits to provide infrastructure
facilities in those areas where projects are proposed, he felt. (ENDS)
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