-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Do GOACAN a favour, circulate this email to your family members, relatives, neighbours and friends. Help others be BETTER INFORMED -------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cuncolim Consumer Forum opposes land handover to private parties for Football Academy, requests CMC consider alternate projects. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Cuncolim Civic and Consumer Forum (CCCF) is strongly opposed to the handing over of the 1,26,785 sq mtr of land to private parties like Bharati Airtel Foundation and All India Football Federation (AIFF) for the setting up of a Football Academy and has called upon the Cuncolim Municipal Council (CMC) to deliberate on the use of the acquired land of GSUDA / Housing Board at Panzorconi by considering various possible alternate projects at its forthcoming Council meeting to be held on 6th May. In a letter addressed to Mr. Prasad R. N. Dessai, Chairperson and Mr. Agnelo Fernandes, Chief Officer of the Cuncolim Municipal Council, the Cuncolim Consumer Forum has pointed out that in the last month a series of Newspaper reports, Cable TV presentation, Meeting at the Cuncolim Municipal Council Library and Woodland Hotel Margao have focused on the setting up of a Joint Venture Mega Project of a Football Academy by All India Football Federation (AIFF) and Bharti Airtel Foundation in the jurisdiction of CMC at Panzorconi on land measuring 1,26,785 sq meters which was originally acquired for a housing project by the Goa Housing Board and subsequently handed over to Goa State Urban Development Agency (GSUDA) for a payment of over Rs. 5 crores. The letter further points out that in the minutes of the ordinary meeting of the CMC held on 18th September 2007, it maybe noted that under the point any other business with the permission of the chair, a resolution no. 19 was passed with regards to the above mentioned land. Closer reading of the resolution would show that the CMC had resolved that Public Utility Projects benefiting the locals and Goans as a whole should be set up and established on the above mentioned land. The resolution further stated that keeping in mind the sentiments of the people, an Educational Institute comprising of professional Catering College, Engineering Diploma course and Courses pertaining to Industrial training be also set up and from this one can surmise that the CMC was firmly of the view that various Educational Institutions would come up on this land as a complex. The resolution of the CMC also stated that "since the area is big, a Ravindra Bhavan (Cultural Centre) and a Football Academy also be set up" and that it "feels that these projects will benefit the locals by creating job opportunities and maybe taken up by GSUDA on a priority basis". The Forum further states that it is perplexed as to how a resolution which had identified various Public Utility Projects on the said large tract of land in the possession of GSUDA be reduced to one single Mega Sports Project on the entire land measuring 1,26,785 sq meter. The CCCF strongly feels that the sentiments expressed by the councillors in the meeting of 18.9.07 for A NUMBER OF PUBLIC UTILITY PROJECTS be maintained and pursued. In this regard, it has demanded that the Cuncolim Municipal Council along with GSUDA puts out an Expression of Interests for the utilization of this 1,26,785 sq meters and involve the various relevant Depts. and Corporations of Goa in undertaking Land Utilization Plan which will be best suited for the interest of the people of Cuncolim and Goa. The CCCF has also recommended that the CMC and GSUDA writes to various Dept. and Corporations of Goa keeping in mind the needs and benefits that could be gained from Educational Institutions, Technical Institutes, Vocational Studies, Sports facilities, Cultural and Recreational Centres. This would be in keeping with the projects already undertaken by GSUDA in CMC jurisdiction such as New Municipal Market Complex, KTC Bus Stand, Community Hall, Football Ground, Joggers Park etc. which were all undertaken without handing over the land to any private party, undertaking construction by agencies within the state of Goa and keeping the management of these projects under the local authority. The CCCF has recommended that the CMC in consultation with GSUDA should pursue various alternate projects for the acquired land by involving various Depts. and Corporations such as Dept. for Craftsmen Training, Goa Engineering College, Govt. Polytechnic (to provide suitable technical education locally so that the students would benefit from the job opportunities available in various fields in various parts of Goa) Directorate of Archives and Archaeology and Directorate of Museum (to set up a suitable CENTER to preserve and promote the history of Cuncolim) Institute of Hotel Management and Catering Technology, Govt. of India based in Porvorim (to set up a Training facility to promote the well known Culinary Skills of the people of Cuncolim) Directorate of Arts & Culture and Kala Academy, Goa Konkani Academy, Gomantak Marathi Academy (to pursue the setting up of a Ravindra Bhawan type of Cultural Centre so that the Cultural talents of the people of Cuncolim be promoted) Goa University, Dept. of Higher Education, Goa Education Development Corporation ( to identify suitable Educational Institutions for further studies to supplement the efforts of Institutions in Cuncolim that are already existing for e.g. the Cuncolim Education Societies HSS and College and Maria Bambina Convent's HSS) Directorate of Sports & Youth Affairs and Sports Authority of Goa, Sesa Goa Football Academy, Various Sports Association in Goa such as Hockey, Badminton etc (to identify suitable sports training facilities which are presently not available in Cuncolim). Copies of the letter to the CMC were also sent to the Chief Minister, Minister for Urban Development and MLA Cuncolim Constituency, Minister for Housing, Chief Secretary, Director, Directorate of Municipal Administration, Member Secretary, Goa State Urban Development Agency in addition to all the relevant Depts. and Corporations. -------------------------------------------------------- Press Release from Cuncolim Civic & Consmer Forum Email: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> -------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------- GOA CIVIC AND CONSUMER ACTION NETWORK ---------------------------------------------------------- promoting civic and consumer rights in Goa ---------------------------------------------------------- GOACAN Post Box 187 Margao, Goa 403 601 GOACAN Post Box 78 Mapusa, Goa 403 507 mailto: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ----------------------------------------------------------
