To Goanet - First, the latest news (already reported here by Pravin Sabnis) - the Govt of India has gone back on its word and backstabbed Goans. It now says that the 3 notified SEZs cannot be de-notified. You will hear more about this from the GMAS after its emergency meeting scheduled for tomorrow (Tuesday).
The following article by Matanhy Saldanha has been published very recently along with photographs of concrete eyesores by Herald, Gomantak, Goa Doot and Sunaparant. A few other papers may also carry it. Regards, r IS THIS DEVELOPMENT? by Matanhy Saldanha Development and progress of a land are essential to improve the quality of life of the people. The basic requisites of development and progress are the availability of basic amenities like 24-hours water supply, uninterrupted electric power, housing to cope with natural growth of locals, good roads, monsoon drainage system to avoid flooding, parking areas, well equipped public health services, clean and hygienic markets, quality education, sports facilities, garbage and sewage treatment plants, gardens, parks, libraries, museums etc. Only when these amenities are in place, the authorities can boast of having provided its people with development. Concrete jungles to provide second homes in gated housing complexes for investors definitely do not constitute development and progress, especially when these mega constructions violate all laws of the land and are beyond the purchasing capacity of the locals. Any right thinking individual knows that such constructions are detrimental to the quality of life of the people of the land, who have to bear the brunt of such ill-conceived, money making, mega housing projects. The Government of Goa has no right to deceive the people of Goa and strip Goa of all that makes Goa special and beautiful, in the name of so called development. The Government must first make it known to the people of Goa what it means by the term ‘Development’ and for whom this development is meant for. The Chief Minister of Goa appears to be more concerned about the development of the real estate agents, the builders, the mine owners and the likes and not of the people of Goa. The Government must realize that Goa is a dot sized and ecologically fragile state. It also has the highest density of population per square km. Signs of degradation of its environment and ecology and the overburdening of its basic infrastructure are already visible and felt by the people, ever since the Government opened the flood gates to a spree of indiscriminate land conversions and multi-storied and massive gated housing and commercial activities, all over Goa, without sparing even the remotest village. This has resulted in a demographic imbalance of the state, changing the very character and nature of the villages and deteriorating the standard of living of the local people. It appears that the Government is least concerned about the people of Goa and their well being as it focuses on globalizing Goa for the rich and marginalizing the people of Goa. Can what is presently happening in Goa be considered as development? Does development constitute construction of concrete jungles that violate all laws of land? The outbursts of our Home and Panchayat Ministers are indicators of frustration because people are now exposing the vestedness of the authorities, which has been going on for far too long. People are rightly telling the elected representatives what real development is all about. Our Ministers need to know that development must be people centric and is meant to improve the quality of life of the people. Any digression from this approach is not development at all. The Government of Goa must know that the rule of law applies to every citizen, weak or powerful, rich or poor. However, in Goa, inspite of 80% literacy, the rule of law is practically non existant as the elected representatives perceive themselves as the masters of all they survey and violate all laws, be it at the Panchayat or Government levels. In this context, the statement “Panchayats cannot revoke approved projects”, made by our Chief Minister sounds very autocratic, irresponsible and totally lacking concern for the Aam Admi whom the Government claims to serve. Unless, maybe, the real estate agents and developers, the Casino owners and the mine owners constitute the Aam Admi for the Chief Minister. Repeated condemnation and rejection of people’s demands is a retrograde step against democracy and the aspirations of the people. It is a well established and accepted fact, by the virtue of the 73rd amendment of the Constitution of India that the Gram Sabhas represent the voice of the people and any attempt to suppress and silence this voice amounts to murder of Democracy. The people have a right to oppose mega housing projects and all that harms them, all over Goa, more so when the laws are violated. We want the Goa Government not to make Goa a dump house for the exodus of the insecure rich from all over the country with no benefit to the state of Goa and its people. A cursory survey of Tiswadi, Salcette and Bardez does not hide the facts of violations and reveals the following realities: 1)Filling up of fields for private construction activity as in the villages of Goa Velha, Caranzalem, Varca, Taleigao and others. 2)Plundering of hills at Mandur, Kegdevelim, Consua, Verna, Bambolim, Batim, Carona, Sangolda, Siridao, Ribandar and many more. 3)Multi-storied buildings i.e ground plus more than two in Taleigao, Oddxel, Candolim, Dona paula, Sernabatim, Varca, Benaulim, Porvorim and elsewhere, when the law clearly stipulates ground plus two in the villages. 4)Encroachment on forest land/mangroves in Nerul, Batim, Gauxim, Pilerne, Ribandar, Old Goa, Carona- Aldona, Bambolim, Reis Magos, Kegdevelim, Arpora and elsewhere. How can the Chief Minister consider such major illegalities and condemn the Aam Admi for opposing them? In fact the people of Goa should be applauded for being vigilant and the Government should investigate as to how such illegalities could take place and penalize the violators as well as the licensing authorities. Communidade lands are governed by a Code of Communidade which does not permit transfer of land without auction and the transfer is only for the purpose of construction of a dwelling house or for agricultural activity. This land cannot be sold by the leaseholder. There is no provision in the Communidade Code to lease land for industries, hotels or for real estate business. However, it is shocking to know that vast tracks of Communidade lands have been transferred in the name of various entrepreneurs from New Delhi and other places, and that too, in thickly forested areas, in connivance with the Managing Committee members and the concerned Administrator with covert support of the M.L.A. Similarly Communidade and private tenanted lands are being sold all over Goa in violation of the Land to the Tiller Act, which does not permit the sale of land nor its use for any other purpose other than agriculture or horticulture. How can the Chief Minister say that projects on such lands are legal? Considering all these violations, one fails to understand how the Government can say that the licenses given by the concerned authorities cannot be revoked. The Government must let the public know how the TCP has permitted structures in the villages which tower to ground plus four and five, when the TCP rules specifically state that structures in the villages cannot exceed ground plus one or two. Further, how can gated housing projects that land lock adjacent properties without leaving public access, which should be minimum five to six meters, be allowed? One of the construction sites surveyed in Benaulim clearly indicates that no public access has been left for the adjoining property and even the one and half meter pathway inbetween has been enclosed within the compound wall. How has the TCP approved the project under this condition? Many constructions are also coming up on tenanted land. How can the Government give permission to construct on tenanted land when the same cannot be converted nor sold as per the Tenancy Act? The Goa Government made headlines in the local press stating that RP 2011 was scrapped in totality with retrospective effect. If this is true, how is it that TCP authority issued licenses for gated housing projects all over Goa, including villages, forested areas, hill slopes and agricultural lands? Does the Government not know that increase in construction activity for housing will result in an increase in the density of population of Goa, thereby polluting the ground water? Goa’s villages and towns have no sewage treatment facilities and the sewage will find its way into water bodies on the surface as well. Where will the extra garbage that will be generated be dumped, when the existing garbage has no place? The Chief Minister must answer this to the public and let the people know how sincere the Government is to the Aam admi whom it claims to protect. It is heartening to know that our Chief Minister and his cabinet members want to make Goa the model state of India. But with the mess that is going on, the future of Goa and its people appears bleak. Nobody denies that development is necessary but it has to be need- based and people oriented and according to the carrying capacity of the state with reference to its size. It is absolutely quixotic to think that replication of development happening in the rest of the country and the world should also be brought into Goa. Such shortsighted development will not only destroy the uniqueness of Goa but turn it into a chaotic and unbearable to live in state. Scientific observations have warned that most of the coastal Goa will be submerged due to global warming in another fifteen to twenty years. When this disaster befalls upon us, where will the people from the coast run to, as by then the hills will be totally taken over by housing complexes occupied by people from rest of the country and the world? The people of the villages of Carmona, Benaulim, Colva, Sernabatim, Carona and Cansaulim need to be congratulated and supported for their bold stand asserting their right under 73rd Amendment of Panchayat Raj Act. People have all the right to oppose any project which is detrimental to their life and well being. This is real Democracy as per the Constitution of India. It is unfortunate that most of the politicians and Panchayat members behave as if they are dictators. These elected representatives do as they please all for their personal gains, with least consideration to the people who have elected them to power, to govern and to protect their interests. People’s power can right this wrong! By Matanhy Saldanha (Former Tourism Minister) ********
