Dears,
Placed below is the full text of the Press Release issued by the Secretary &
spokesperson of the GBA as per the consensus arrived after detailed
deliberations of the GBA Core Group held on 25 August, 2008. These are not the
personal views of any single person but of the GBA as one body. The newspapers
will carry the report as per their normal policies. Check out the hard copies
or web versions at their websites in the morning [27 August, 2008].
Mog asundi.
Miguel
--- On Tue, 26/8/08, GBA office <goabachaoabhiyan@ gmail.com> wrote:
> From: GBA office <goabachaoabhiyan@ gmail.com>
> Subject: GBA Press Release - For favor of publication please
> Date: Tuesday, 26 August, 2008, 9:26 PM
> *Goa Bachao Abhiyan*
> *77, Defence Colony, Porvorim
> contact: 9767701245*
>
> PRESS RELEASE *
>
> The GBA stands firmly committed to the Memorandum signed by
> the people of Goa at the first public rally organised by the then
> fledgling Goa Bachao Abhiyan [Save Goa Campaign]on 18 December, 2006, at >
> Azad Maidan, Panaji-Goa.
> The Memorandum signed by more than 6,500 people was
> submitted to the Goa Government on 22 December, 2006, asking for
> 1. Repeal of the RPG 2011
>
> 2. Involvement of the people of Goa in the planning
> process as
> envisioned in the 73rd and 74th amendment to the
> Constitution of India.
>
> 3. Reformulation of a new Regional Plan for Goa.
> The first was achieved in early 2007. However, with the Goa
> Government dithering on bringing its laws and processes in consonance
> with the 73rd and 74th amendments to the Constitution of India, the
> formulation of the Regional Plan for Goa 2021 has been rendered > incomplete.
>
> The GBA cooperated with the Task Force as a representative
> of the interests of the people of Goa with the sincere wish to partner
> with Government positively towards framing guidelines of planning as
> mentioned in Point 2 of GBA's memorandum.
>
> As we stand days away from the release of the Draft
> Regional Framework Plan we question the Governments motives due to a
> string of actions and inactions.
>
> GBA asks the Government to come clear on several questions
> that arise in the minds of the people:
>
> *Policies:*
>
> Are the policies that create the spatial Plan from the
> 'Top-Down' set that gave birth to SEZ's, Food Parks and Golf Courses, or > do
> they reflect the people's aspirations for a better tomorrow?
>
>
> *Process:*
>
> Is there a transparent consultative process that ensures
> real people's participation towards policy in this Regional Plan or are
> the people merely to 'suggest' or 'object' but not plan, as
> in the case of ODPs?
>
> *Legal status:*
>
> Despite 16 years of existence of the 73rd and 74th
> constitutional amendments, why are the Goa TCP Act and Municipality Act
> not brought in consonance with the Constitution of India as in force and
> why are powers not being devolved to the Village Panchayats, Zilla
> Panchayats and DistrictPlanning Committees envisioned in the Goa
> Panchayat Raj Act, 1994, and notifications issued thereunder.
>
> *Integrity:*
>
> Why is the Goa Government, with its large administrative
> framework including Civil Service officers, lawyers and advisors, >feigning
> ignorance of the constitutional requirements and methods, >limiting the
> official methods for 'Peoples Participation' to simply
> 'Reaction' or "objections" allowed by the antiquated TCP Act of 1974 ?
>
> *Political Will:*
>
> The Task Force and the TCP Department accepted the formula
> for a pilot study of 6 villages and 3 municipalities that was presented >to
> the Task Force by the CSJP and allied groups, also members of the GBA, >as
> far back as December 2007. When the formula was appreciated and agreed >to be
> commissioned by the Task Force, why has the Government not found >the will to
> move forward on this?
>
>
>
> *Changing Goal posts:*
> # Even as the Government found itself 'Unable' to
> do this pilot study, how did it find the 'Will' to push through the
> anti-people amendments to Section 16&16A of the TCP Act, vide Ordinance
> >dated 29 February, 2008 and Act dated 13 May, 2008, which allow it >complete
> and overriding powers to the
> Government effectively nullifying any Regional Plan.
>
> #Why have the Goa Land Development and Building Regulations
> been notified vide Gazette of 14th August 2008, Series I No. 20, even
> before the Task Force has finished formulating the Regional Plan?
>
> On 25th of August the GBA met to deliberate on these issues
> and made the following resolve.
>
> The GBA cannot be part of any planning process that does
> not include the people and their aspirations in a clear and substantial
> manner. It cannot support any plan that does not provide for proper
> participation. It cannot support a plan that can at any moment be >subverted
> by the use of Section 16 and 16Aof TCP Act
> which legalizes all that was rejected in the Regional Plan 2011.
>
> The only sure way of ensuring that the peoples voice is
> heard and that power is devolved to them is to implement the 73rd and >74th
> amendment fully - not just in letter but also in spirit.
> As village after village rises up in protest what is clear
> is that the people are rejecting the Governments lopsided ideas of
> forced development and illegal planning, which decimate our hills and >lands
> without a thought to sustainability. Give people the tools, >training,
> guidelines and responsibility as outlined in the 73rd and 74th >amendment and
> they will have a voice in the shaping of their future - as >is their right to
> have. A right that is enshrined in the Constitution of >India. GBA dedicates
> itself to the
> people, and to their fight to be empowered. We have the
> right to be democratic partners in the planning process. For this we
> demand that amendment to Section 16&16/A of the Goa TCP Act 1974 be >scrapped.
> We demand that the 73rd and 74th amendment be implemented completely.
>
> The Government of Goa has been constituted after each
> Minister has sworn to uphold the Constitution of India. The GBA is only
> >asking the Government to do what it has pledged to do.
>
>
> The people of Goa will respond to the RPG 2021
> appropriately when the document
> is made public for suggestions and objections.
> Reboni Saha
> Secretary - Goa Bachao Abhiyan
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