Enough is enough. Before a point of no return is reached people should demand complete scrapping of RP-2021,(an excellent academic exercise in cartography now there is another Plan for Goa till 2051 to be prepared by an elite committee Under Dr. R.A. Mashelkar) , also demand dissolution of all the corrupt PDAs, implementation of first and second state finance commission reports, restructuring and reactivation of state land use board (check work done by Kerala counterpart) and the land resources management committee deliberately kept defunct.... there is a long list of things which Goa actually needs but GBA has gone in a direction entirely misguided by urban centric architects, engineers and professionals who may not have seen all 380 villages and 45 towns in Goa and the actual political, administrative and social reality....besides there is a calculated bias against the village panchayats as if 50 % population in urban Goa sports only saints and prophets....RP-2021 is of and by those who sit on 70% wealth of Goa....LET ME RECORD HERE FOR POSTERITY-RP-2021 WOULD BE THE BIGGEST BLUNDER IN GOA'S POST LIBERATION HISTORY AFFECTING MORE THAN HALF A MILLION UNUSPECTING POWERLESS POPULATION WITHIN NEXT FIVE YEARS DIRECTLY.
---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Dr.Nandkumar Kamat <[email protected]> Date: Wed, Jul 21, 2010 at 6:52 PM Subject: Re: Remind Goa CM about RP promise, GBA to MLAs To: roger dsouza <[email protected]> The biggest mistake of GBA was to cooperate with the govt. to prepare RP-2021. GBA thinks that TCP would act like a superdepartment. Governments don't act like that. This is my humble observation for past 33 years and I have worked much more intensively with all kinds of politicians and technocrats. Governments need to be kept under check by making them draw and commit to policies and through people friendly legislations and by getting powers decentralised.. We don't need a RP for forest areas, area under industrial estates, area specified under command area act, 1997, are under CZMA, area under captain of ports jurisdiction, MPT, military camps etc. for that matter any area under control of existing central and state acts beyond the jurisdiction of TCPD. GBA has failed to understand that a regional plan even under the present TCP act is useless until all supporting mandatory plans-ODP, CDPs and TPs have been ready. These were not preapred within the stipulated 3 years period read by the end of 1977-80. GBA has failed to get convinced that no other state is interested in a RP. NCT has a master plan thanks to Mr. Ribeiro. GBA has also failed to understand right from the beginning that considering the small sizes of our 380 revenue villages it is the local authorities which would do all spatial planning and there is limited role in a small state like ours for a TCP board.... As I had explained to Mr. Riberiro and Arch. Charles Correia at CM's residence just before the task force notification was out in 2007, the planning is left for only 80,000 hectares and for that we don't need a town and country planning board sitting in Panaji dictating things to a farmer in Pernem.... Mr. Ribeiro could see the future and wisely he resigned and left... but GBA stuck like a limpet...to the same corrupt administration hoping somehow that a new RP would create a new, clean working culture.... All the political parties thank GBA for the following:- 1. For not insisting on comprehensive land reforms 2. For not insisting on surface land utilization policy (without which spatial land use plans have no value) 3. For not insisting on Goa state natural resources management policy 4. For not insisting on a housing and habitat policy favourable to local ecology and local ethos 5. For not insisting on state rehabilitation policy and act for project oustees affected by developmental projects 6. For not insisting on reactivation of Goa state land use board and state land resources management committee 7. For not inisting on total repeal of outdated TCP act, 1974 and passing of the model TCP act, 1998 which could have been introduced in 1998 itself 8. For not insisting on implementation of the first (V.A. Pai panandikar) and second (Mr. Alban Couto) finance commission reports to empower local authorities and further for fully cooperating with the government to prepare a regional plan friendly to town planners,architects and engineers under an outdated act which no other state has ever prepared. 9. For supporting the continuation of all the present corrupt PDAs and not demanding their immediate dissolution 10. And above all by helping to deny the peoples' power to the people and by promoting only the urban lobbyists All the political parties in the state are unanimous in denying microplanning powers to local authorities and they are very pleased with GBA's performance so far....it is unprecedented in Goa's post liberation history You would see the reality once the dreaded RP-2021 gets notified and the harassment of people begins...on technical and legal issues... 11 more years is suffcient time to finish whatever remains...but where would be GBA then? Let us wait and watch!. Everything is happening exactly opposite in contrast to the letter sent by CSJP in December 2005. The church of Goa would not believe the wreckage which RP -2021 would do in coming days. The above comments come in view of my association of the RP planning process since the days of Master plan on tourism (1987) on which we had agitated and got it rejected by preferring to go to jail ( June 3, 1987, Hotel Fidalgo) and from our agitation was born Jagrut goenkarchi fauz (JGF) -...... -RP-2021 need to be scrapped immediately. On Wed, Jul 21, 2010 at 3:26 PM, roger dsouza <[email protected]> wrote: > To: > > The Chief Minister Digambar Kamat > The Leader of the Opposition Manohar Parrikar > > I’m taking the liberty to send this open letter along with the article in > today’s Herald and some very interesting comments, which I hope that you > would be able to access inspite of a very busy Assembly Session that all > Goans are watching with abated breath, as there is much at stake that needs > to be addressed and answered. Clearly never in Goa’s history has there been > so much at stake and while the Assembly is dealing with so many contentious > issues, the very identity of Goa and Goans is being put to the test. *There > is an urgent need that the elected representatives heed the wishes of the > Goan people before it’s too late.* Likewise as the leaders of the Goa > Government as well as the Opposition it becomes incumbent on you and the > rest of the MLAs to listen to the voices of the Goan people as Goa stands > at the thresholds of destruction and annhilation. > > To that effect you and the MLAs would have received the letter from the Goa > Bachao Abhiyan requesting a follow-up on the assurance given by the chief > minister on the floor of the House in the last Assembly Session on the > Regional Plan 2021 that the same would be ready in the next six months (i.e. > by Sept 2010). > > *The people now demand that the given the consistent lack of will and > resolve on the part of the Government to finalise the Regional Plan, the > MLAs should press for a freeze on construction as per VP3 status or 50 FAR > (floor area ratio) to stop irreparable damage to the State, with immediate > effect. * > > Strict checks and balances should be set in place to stop the rot and the > people of Goa have a right to have their voices heard in this regard. > Pandering to the real-estate lobbies, Mining Industry, SEZs, Casinos and > Hotel Lobbies while giving the Goan people the run-around is something that > will not be tolerated by Goans anymore. It’s high time that the Goa > Government, MLAs, Directorate of Panchayats, Town and Country Planning > Department, Forest Department all be held accountable for their actions and > inactions. > > You need to read the writing on the wall and fulfil the mandate of the Goan > people. There is only so much to a people's patience and we are not fools. > > Attached below is the Article in today’s Herald. > > *********************************************************************** > > > *Remind CM about RP promise, GBA to MLAs* > HERALD REPORTER > PANJIM, JULY 20 > > Goa Bachao Abhiyan in a letter to all MLAs has requested for a follow-up on > the assurance given by the chief minister on the floor of the House in the > last Assembly Session on the Regional Plan 2021 that the same would be ready > in the next six months (i.e. by Sept 2010). > > GBA has now demanded in case the Government fails in finalising the RP by > the said month, the MLAs should press for a freeze on construction as per > VP3 status or 50 FAR (floor area ratio) to stop irreparable damage to the > State. > > In the letter, the GBA maintained it has been monitoring the progress of > the RP 2021 very closely. More than four months have passed, without even a > single taluka plan being approved by the State Level Committee, it > mentioned. > > It reminded that the CM had on March 4, 2010, promised representatives of > GBA and village groups village plans would be incorporated into final taluka > plans for Pernem and Canacona talukas and the same would be made available > for public scrutiny as test cases. > The letter stated further, “It is also a fact that illegal constructions > and mining are taking place at a rapid pace, especially in eco-sensitive > areas taking advantage of the delay of the RP.” > > The letter has requested the MLAs to raise the issue on the floor of the > House and call for status report on the assurance given by the CM. > > *********************************************************** > Comments: > > Dalia > > > Wednesday, July 21st, 2010 > > It is well on the part of GBA realised that our POC / PDL is suffering from > Amnesia. Well done GBA. > > Ameer > > > Wednesday, July 21st, 2010 > > Salute to GBA for taking up core issues relating to goa, May God help you > to succeed ...but criminals who are looting goa are much more powerful as we > see, they have support from all the depts and they carry this licencse to > loot, as all the wealth is distributed among looteer and their protector > godfathers..,...GBA should continue doing its good work more aggrasively and > invite more people to join them in thier struggle to save goa before its too > late....... > > gogreen > > > Wednesday, July 21st, 2010 > > This will take more time because other bills for the benefit of the > politicians will be give first priority like developing hinterland to > promote tourism because there are peace loving hardwoking people living > inthe hinterland whom they want to introducce to the druggist and nexus > chemist so that this beautiful environment will be damaged like how the > coastal areas are damaged through rampant construction - god has now started > punishing by eroding the beaches like the betalbatim beach which is the > cause of oeverdevelopment same will be fate of the hinterland there will be > hordes of migrants and outnumber the local population Just see there should > be heavy tax on casinos but govt have a soft corner for them. SAVING > ENVIRONMENT IS DEVELOPMENT we want land and food forever not super rich > money who will come to lead a lavish lifestyle in your hotels. now our govt > decided to approach world bank to repair betalbatim and some eroding beaches > they will take the loan from them and will not be able to repay because of > greed and corruption to amass wealth . goa will be in a debt trap - for our > govt it's only development with public money there is no proper power supply > in the houses , garbage everywhere, > > Trevor > > > Wednesday, July 21st, 2010 > > Well said Rahul. Worse still, if I could add a hyphen - we have a (PDL) > Protector of Drug Lords......Let the whole world see that! Shame! Shame! > Shame! Police will attack innocent defenseless women of the GBA but not drug > peddling king-pins??……Very sad times in our Goa. > > Rahul > > > Wednesday, July 21st, 2010 > > Goans should henceforth stop calling Digambar Kamat as CM...in Goa we don't > have CM what we have is POC (Protector of Criminals) - POC Digambar Kamat > > Vincent Rego > > > Wednesday, July 21st, 2010 > > How CM will act When he himself and his immediate family members are > involved in construction and mining business?. Mind you again it can cost > him his chair. Probably he will keep delaying on some extent This puppet CM > cannot act tough with his colleague due to he himself is working under > pressure and this kind of functioning is costing Goa dearly. > > Trevor > > > Wednesday, July 21st, 2010 > > Thank you to the GBA. You all are doing a fantastic job! God Bless you all! > Please keep up the fight. You fight for the future of Goa. It is the single > biggest issue facing the future of Goa. We are at a crossroads, and we > cannot afford to loose this one. We need to stop the LAND GRAB!!! STOP > STEALING GOA FROM US!!!!......this at least, gives us a tool to try to stop > it. It is our only hope. We all know that they want to slow it down so that > can plunder and loot our beloved Goa. I have to commend you all for courage > and for taking the blows to the head from the police, (and it was police men > beating up defenseless women - disgraceful! Our government allows this to > happen!), Future generations of Goan youth will thank you all, the mothers > of our land. You are the true Goans of the soil. Please keep up the fight, > be relentless in this struggle. If you all succeed you all deserve all the > credit. And I know you all will. If the CM cannot do his job and keep to his > promises, he should step down! Period! We do not need ineffective leaders, > any private sector company would do the same, sack them. > > > -- Dr. Nandkumar Kamat, GOA -- Dr. Nandkumar Kamat, GOA * * * Read Selma Carvalho's warmly-received book *Into the Diaspora Wilderness*, a journey through Goan life in Africa, the Gulf, England and North America ... gripping and well-told real-life stories. See http://selmacarvalho.squarespace.com/ Buy in Goa via Broadway Book Centre, Panjim. Ph 9822488564. * * *
