Dears,
The REGIONAL PLAN for GOA 2021 [RPG 2021] was supposed to be issued in May,
2008 after the Interim report was out by 15 March, 2008 as per the Official
Gazette notification of 26 February, 2008. In its earlier avatar [Gazette of 04
October, 2007], the GUIDELINES were to be framed by the Task Force by 15
December, 2007 and that would be the end of the job for it. The goal posts of
both, the MANDATE and the DATE, have kept on shifting. In the meanwhile, the
Goa TCP[Amendment] Act, 2008 passed in March 2008 and Rules notified in the
Official Gazette on 13 May, 2008 make the RPG 2021 a JOKE ..... for PRIVATE use
only.
There as as many versions out as there are newspapers in Goa. the Times of
India is by far the most accurate, the Herald version is a close second. The
others are more of "creative writing" than journalism as I understand it.
Mog asundi.
Miguel
Rebello quits as GBA convenor
Panaji: Dr Oscar Rebello stepped down as convenor of Goa Bachao Abhiyan on
Friday following a 'lack of consensus' among members over the issue of a model
for people's participation in the planning process.
Rebello's resignation came on the eve of a GBA meeting convened on Saturday
to discuss the issue, even as another meeting on July 28, which had continued
for more than two hours, failed to reach any conclusive opinion on the model to
be adopted to facilitate a bottom to top (people's participation) planning
process.
Rebello said he quit as convenor (but not as GBA member) as the body's core
group was not in agreement with a model suggested by Patricia Pinto and Ritu
Prasad, who represented him on the task force to ensure people's participation
as per the 73rd and 74th a m e n d m e n t s. "There was neither a benchmark
nor a model to borrow from as to how people's participation can be facilitated.
We (GBA) had no alternative model to place before the task force," he said.
The task force was expected to submit the draft regional plan on July 15,
but it has been now extended to August 15.
Extend deadline for comments on RP: GBA
Panaji: Goa Bachao Abhiyan representatives had suggested to the task force to
draft the Regional Plan 2021 that taluka committees be incorporated in the
planning process to afford people at the grassroots level an opportunity to
present their views.
They also asked that the deadline for comments from the people on the draft
RP be extended to four months from the existing two months.
They further went on to suggest that ward committes at panchayat and
municipal level be formed to plan for the local area.
As a consequence of stepping down as GBA convenor, Dr Oscar Rebello
automatically ceases to be a member of the task force, which had been
constituted to draft the Regional Plan 2021.
Patricia Pinto and architect Ritu Prasad said they would refrain from
attending the task force meetings to assist Dr Rebello in future. "We cannot
continue in our personal capacity," Pinto said.
However, Sabina Martins, co-convenor, GBA, while admitting differences in
opinion among members over the process to be endorsed, stated that discussions,
though inconclusive, would continue. "The process is still on and the matter
will be discussed at the GBA meeting in the city on Saturday," she said.
A section of the members, who partly agreed with the process suggested that
it be backed by a legislative amendment to the TCP Act before the Regional Plan
was drafted. However, sources said this was not acceptable to the task force.
Martins said there was a feeling of distrust within the GBA of the
government's motive and that it is not serious about formulating the Regional
Plan. The amendment to Section 16 (a) to the TCP Act is perceived as an outcome
of this approach.
COURTESY: Times of India, Goa.
In [EMAIL PROTECTED], "joelds" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
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