Navhind Times, 15/1/2008 PANAJI- Aldona villagers on Sunday decided to work out what the ideal pattern of development of their village should be, and ask for time for the public feedback to be extended till March 31, 2009. This was decided at a meeting organised by the Aldona Bachao Abhiyan at the Parish Centre, at 4.30 p.m. to discuss the draft Regional Plan 2021, with specific focus on how it affects Aldona. A memorandum too is being drafted to express the collective views of the people of Aldona. Apart from a number of noted speakers from Aldona, including Mr Alban Couto, IAS (retd), the meeting was addressed by Ms Geraldine Fernandes of Ganv Ghar Rakhonn Manch, Mr Soter D'Souza from Centre for Panchayati Raj and Mr Miguel Braganza of Goa Bachao Abhiyan. Noted author, Ms Maria Aurora Couto presided and proposed the vote of thanks. Well known Konkani writer and social activist, Mr Felix D'Cruz, compered. Ms Fernandes reminded the gathering that it was the gram sabha resolutions across Goa on January 26, 2007, that made the Government jitterry enough to frame laws and revoke the Regional Plan 2011, and added that it is the gram sabha resolutions now that has made it to extend time for the people's suggestions to the DRP 2021. 'The Town and Country Planning Department is unable to identify sites for garbage management and the High Court has asked the gram sabhas to identify such sites. So what makes the government to pretend that the gram sabhas are unable to plan the development and the future of the villages?' she asked. Ms Fernandes questioned the need for 15 metre wide roads in the villages as proposed in the DRP 2021. 'Why do we need broad roads? Are these roads proposed for the villagers or for the builders to put up multi-storeyed buildings? she asked and suggested 'Let them build multi-storeyed roads to their multi-storeyed buildings.' Mr Alban Couto explained the village map obtained from GBA and displayed in the hall for all to see. He reminded the people that Aldona and Benaulim were big villages occupying 8.1 and 10.8 sq. km area respectively. People look up to the big villages to set a good example, we must not fail them, he exhorted his fellow Aldonkars. There are some blanks in the village plan amidst the settlement areas and no CRZ line has been marked in the plan, he pointed out. Mr Premanand Kerkar stated that he was proud to be a Goan and living in Goa but lamented that while working in Calangute over the last 22 years, he had seen a beautiful seaside village turn into an over-built concrete jungle thanks to the centralised TCP planners. Mr Soter De Souza explained what Article 243 means in terms of empowerment of the villagers in the light of the 73rd and 74th amendments. He reminded the people that the TCP Act, 1975, is outdated and does not recognise the village panchayat's ability to plan for itself with the help of the gram sabha. Ms Joellene D'Lima spoke for the youth through song, the traditional Mando 'Aldona' composed by Martin Pinto from Corjuem decades ago 'Xetam-dongrani borllolo asot ani ganv mhojea mai des-a oslo?' [Can there be another land resplendent with fields and hills like my village?]. She had half a dozen youth on stage to sing with her. Mr Miguel Braganza said that as long as there are youth like Joellene and her friends in Aldona, it will continue to thrive. 'If one is proud of one's village, its heritage and the Konakni language, the village can never perish,' he said and argued, 'It is time to revive agricultural activities that have seen a decline in the last decade as the pride in the Aldona chilli is an essential part of being an Aldonkar.' He said that if Kerala can use NREGS to revive rice cultivation, so can Aldona. Earlier Mr Milton Fernandes in his welcome address spelt out the programmes and progress of the ABA in bringing about people's participation in the planning process for Aldona. Ms Marie D'Souza, a familiar figure at the gram sabha meeting even in yesteryears when they were poorly attended, asked the villagers to consider the alternate alignment of the proposed Main District Road that has been suggested by local expert, Mr Jose Caridade D'Souza, to save the paddy fields and garden land from needless destruction.
-- Question everything -- Karl Marx
