Dears,
Rajiv Gandhi was responsible for the 71st amendment [inclusion of Konkani] 73rd
[Panchayats] and 74th [Local Self govt.] amendments to the Constitution of
India. The Goa Desk in charge was possibly referring to that while Mummy dear
was talking of Women's Empowerment by making the lone woman MLA a minister in
Goa.
Read the other "developments" in the Navhind Times reports below.
Mog asundi
Miguel
Task Force to submit draft RP 2021 to govt on Aug 31
NT NETWORK
Posted on 2008-08-21
OTHER STORIES IN SECTION
Parrikar ridicules govt?s price control scheme
Goa to host National Games: Azgaonkar
SVM accuses Rahejas of indulging in false accusations
Pernem sub-registrar office registers 901 land sale deeds
Goa should follow policies set out by Rajiv Gandhi: Hariprasad
Digambar discloses plans to establish Ravindra Bhavans
PANAJI 20 Aug. The draft Regional Plan 2021 will be submitted to the government
on August 31 and it is supposed to be made public on September 15, according to
highly placed sources. It will thereafter be open for public suggestions till
December 15 (for 90 days).
A few days back, senior town planner and member of the Task Force, Mr Edgar
Rebeiro had told ?The Navhind Times? that the report was almost ready and only
loose ends were to be tied up for which they were waiting for the vice chief of
the Task Force and noted architect, Mr Charles Correia to finalise. Sources
said that there had to be proper ?mapping? of all details and most departments
had given their five-year plans to the Task Force to be integrated in the draft
plan. The Goa Bachao Abhiyan was invited by the government to join the Task
Force headed by the Chief Minister, Mr Digambar Kamat.
It may be recalled that the Task Force was formed after the RP 2011 was
scrapped after massive public protests in which the GBA had been in the
forefront. The original mandate of the Task Force was to give guidelines for
preparing the Regional Plan 2021. But this mandate was later changed and the
Task Force was asked to recommend a draft regional structural plan for Goa 2021
that would comprise of spatial and socio-economic policies and strategies.
The Task Force for the Regional Plan 2021 was constituted by the government
vide a notification dated October 4, 2007, and published in the official
gazette in the same month and the changed work was published in notification
dated February 26. However, there have been protests from the constituents of
the Task Force including the GBA on the decision of the government to pass an
amendment to the Town and Country Planning Act, 1974, and they had demanded
that the government immediately withdraw or amend the said bill as well as the
ordinance it is to replace.
People who have been agitating against the previous regional plan said that
this bill, the corresponding ordinance, the new notification and such other
actions of the government make a mockery of the work entrusted to the Task
Force. GBA insiders say that the government weakened the mandate of the Task
Force with this bill.
The GBA had alleged that this amendment of the Act was tantamount to the
government initiating a parallel process to bring in projects through the back
door thus nullifying the very purpose of setting up the Task Force to prepare
the RP for the state. The GBA had also written letters to the Chief Minister
and all the MLAs to ask them to oppose this and the leader of opposition, Mr
Manohar Parrikar and the Curtorim MLA, Mr Alex Reginald Lourenco had promised
to bring it up during the present monsoon session of the assembly.
Goa to host National Games: Azgaonkar
NT NETWORK
Posted on 2008-08-21
PANAJI - The Sports Minister, Mr Manohar Azgaonkar has said that National Games
would be held in the state, at a date to be fixed by the central and state
government, even as he said that sports policy for the state would be declared
soon.
Replying to the queries raised by the members of the House during discussion on
the demands for sports and youth affairs department, Mr Azgaonkar said that to
hold a mega event like National games, the members of the House should come
together forgetting their differences and take sports to greater heights and
provide better facilities for the sportspersons in the state.He further said
that the sports policy would help not only to protect the interest of the
sportspersons but also has provision to ensure a safe future for them. He also
said that to improve the sporting venues and help promote sports, there was
need for more funds as the present allocation was insufficient.
Mr Azgaonkar promised to enquire into allegations made by Mr Mauvin Godinho
about wall of ground that was sought to be demolished to give access to a
building project. He also promised enquiry into the charges levelled by
Curtorim MLA, Mr Reginaldo Aleixo Lourenco.
He also said that a number of sports persons were yet to be disbursed the
awards promised by the government for lack of funds even as he said that a
percentage of funds should be set aside in the budget for promotion of sports.
?On getting funds, I will ensure that we have adequate facilities that would
help us in training our youth in winning medals at sporting events,? he said.
The demands for the department were passed after the cut motions moved by the
opposition benches were defeated by voice vote after the Speaker, Mr Pratapsing
Rane put them to vote on the floor of the assembly.
SVM accuses Rahejas of indulging in false accusations
NT NETWORK
Posted on 2008-08-21
PANAJI - The SEZ Virodhi Manch has condemned the allegations made against
peaceful protesters by the local officials of K Raheja Corporation Pvt Ltd and
charged that it was ?a malicious attempt to tarnish the image of the SEZ
Virodhi Manch, which has been agitating peacefully against the fraud of the
SEZs in Goa.?
In a press note issued on Wednesday, the SVM warned the Raheja SEZ officials
not to indulge in false accusations and demanded withdrawal of the case
registered with the police failing which the Manch has warned that the
proactive, peaceful resistance will be intensified.
Mr Charles Fernandes, the SVM convenor said that the allegations against
approximately?150?peaceful protester s who prevented the company workers from
continuing work at the SEZ site at Verna on Tuesday were unfounded.
He further claimed that 50 per cent of the protestors were ladies, and asserted
that no damage was done to company?s property or any violence against the
labourers and the company staff was committed by the protestors.
It also charged that it was a deliberate attempt by the ?Rahejas to register
false cases against innocent public to force them to withdraw from such
peaceful agitations.?
The SVM also questioned the immediate registration of offence against peaceful
protesters and the failure to register an FIR lodged by villagers against the
GIDC officials and SEZ promoters till date.
The SVM also questioned how the police registered an offence against the public
in a notified SEZ when they do not have jurisdiction in notified SEZs as per
the SEZ Act and demanded that the government immediately issue show cause
notices to all the promoters of SEZs in Goa, register the FIR filed by People?s
Movement Against SEZ on October 22, 2007 and set up an inquiry into the scam in
the process of approvals forwarded for SEZs and also called on every MLA to
walk the talk against SEZs within the deliberations and resolutions in the
assembly.
The SVM said that approximately 150 villagers out of which 50 per cent were
ladies had gone to protest the resumption of the construction activity in the
Raheja SEZ.
It alleged that statements made by Raheja officials that the workers present
were only minimal maintenance workers was false as could be seen from
electronic footage taken and argued that about 50 workers were found working on
construction.
Reiterating that absolutely no damage was done to property or violence
committed towards labourers and staff present by the protesters as witnessed by
two vehicles of Vema Outpost Poilce personnel present, it warned that the
people were running out of patience and were being further provoked by such
complains.
> GOACAN to organise presentation on CMZ Notification at
> Colva
> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> The Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of
> India, has issued a Coastal Management Zone (CMZ)
> notification 2008 vide their notification number S.O.114 (E)
> dated 1st May 2008. The draft notification which is open for
> suggestions and objections will eventually replace the
> existing Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) notification 1991.
>
> The objective of the 2008 notification is protection and
> sustainable development of the coastal stretches and marine environment
> through sustainable coastal zone management practices based on
> sound scientific principles taking into account the vulnerability of the
> coast to natural hazards, sustainable livelihood security for local
> communities and conservation of ecologically & culturally significant
> coastal resources.
>
> Various NGOs & individuals in Goa and across the
> country have studied the notification and observed that some of the
> points are not in accordance with sustainable development of the
> coastal resources and have already filed their objections in
> writing to the MoEF.
>
> To have a wider view and suggestions from the local
> communities on the notification, the MoEF, has asked CEE, a national
> centre of excellence in environmental education of the MoEF to
> facilitate various consultations along the coast of India.
>
> After the Goa consultation organised by CEE on 8th August,
> GOACAN on its part has taken the initiative to reach the
> 2008 notification to the various Village Panchayats and
> Municipal Councils likely to be affected by the notification by
> networking with the various Consumer Forums.
>
> The first effort by the Consumer Forum volunteers was to
> raise the issue at the special Gram Sabha held on Friday
> 15th August wherein a resolution was passed and a copy of the Central Govt,
> gazette notification was handed over to the concerned Village
> Panchayats.
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> 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
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