We the members of the South Goa Public Interest Action Group SGPIAG a
registered NGO based in Margao bring to the notice of the public in general
that of the 11 Government bills moved for consideration and passing on 25th
March, 2008 the Town and Country Planning (amendment) Bill 2008 moved by the CM
amd Minister for Town and Country Planning for consideration and passed ( by
almost all the forty legislators ) contained yet another set of draconian
amendments viz sec 16 and 16A. This has since been notified on 13th May, 2008
and therefore it is only the august house of the Goa Legislative Assembly that
can repeal the amendment.
While the original section 16 of the TCP Act, 1974 held that ..... no one
inluding the government can act against the Regional Plan formulated ....for
the State of Goa, the amendment passed on 25th March, 2008 (with no
dissensions even from the Opposition benches) provides that ....... no one
EXCEPT the government can act against the Regional Plan ....
This implies that the Government plans for "development" will be carried out
without the participation of the people. Ironically this means that there will
be two sets of rules one for the Government and the other for the people. The
Government intends to bring through the back door its plans for casinos, gated
community, health and medical tourism, tourism clusters marinas hotels,
football academies, food parks, SEZ film cities educational hubs, green field
airports and related infrastructure without public participation in these
developmental plans, but only "Government Private Participation"
The Advisor to the Government of Goa on Planning and a member of the Task Force
a prominent Town Planner Mr Edgar Ribeiro had in his letter marked
"Confidential" dated 3/4/2008 had forewarned the Government against the
amendment to section 16 and 16 A. Yet the Government went ahead with the agenda
and niether did the Advisor tender his resignation on this volte face by the
Government.
Hence there is a need for the citizens of Goa to arise once again during the
18th August, 2008 monsoon session of the Goa Legislative Assembly as they did
on two earlier ocassions:
a) when the draconian amendment to the TCP Act 1974 was effected vide an
Ordinance dated 29th September 2005 amending section 33 (1) which reads POWER
OF THE GOVERNMENT TO PREPARE DEVELOPMENT PLANS ... where government could
undertake any development plan without the involvement of the people. This was
finally repealed following an agitation led by the villagers of Santa Cruz duly
supported by NGO's including this NGO. ( P.S: They had intended then to move
the Bill and pass it in the Goa Legislative Assembly session on 31st August,
2005 (last day) but did not succeed)
b) The next agitation on 18th December, 2006 ( Azad Maidan Panaji )and 16th
January, 2007 (Lohia Maidan Margao )was under the Goa Bachao Abhiyan GBA (a
peoples collective involving NGO's as well) demanding de-notification of the
Regional Plan 2011 which was finally "done ??'' by the Government on 26th
January, 2007.
We at SGPIAG therefore feel that only a sustained agitation should be carried
to achieve once and for all the undermentioned:
a) the Government should allow for peoples participation in the planning
process as envisaged in 1992 Constitutional 73rd and 74th amendment granting
statutory powers to the people viz Municipalities/Corporation and Village
Panchayats; by effecting immediately an amendment to the 1974 TCP Act and
Rules 1976.
b) the Gram Sabhas should be converted fortwith into "peoples assembly" with
the same dignity, decorum and finality maintained in the conduct of its
proceedings and deliberations viz; motions resolved and passed honoured in
letter and spirit as is the case with the business and conduct of the Goa
Legislative Assembly.
c) the Government should be compelled to devolve powers to the Zilla
Panchayats forthwith;
While mobilizing the masses for the above it is also necessary that the message
reaches out in clear terms that the Government of Goa must
a) maintain Goa's unique identity a symbiosis of East and West . It should
safeguard the culture, language (with diversity in scripts) of the people of
the State.
e) stop its attempt to covert Goa into a "mini India" with policies that
safeguard the interests of migrants. Instead it should enmsure that only Goan
centric developmental and non developmental policies which will benefit the
natives as well as our Goan bretheren settled outside the State and the country
should be pursued.
f) stop forwith excessive mining, excessive fishing activities, and excessive
tourism promotion that destroy the environment and quality of life of our
natives;
Meanwhile the people should use the Goa Right to Information Act to demand of
the Government to come out with a white paper on
i) the indigenous (natives) of the State setting up a cut off date for
migrants (19/02/1968 )
ii) the present job opportunities available for able bodied educated and
uneducated persons (in the age group of ( 18 to 58 years ) in the existing
industries, small, medium, large, the agricultural sector and the service
sector.
iii) the turn out of students from the existing institution of learning to
assess if there is a mis-match with education and employment prospects.
iv) all development plans that are either on the anvil in progress or in
incubation state
That until the above white paper is prepared all development activity should be
put on hold.
Kindly circulate this message to all and sundry who have the interests of Goa
and native Goans at heart.
For SOUTH GOA PUBLIC INTEREST ACTION GROUP
Regd No 171/GOA/2000 dt 12.12.2000
sd/-
TERENCE MAZARELO
PRESIDENT (SGPIAG)
1st Flr Benlix Bldg Opp Fatima Convent Margao Goa India
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