REPORT: A presentation which was never given officially-and never before a MS , task force who joined in his jogging shorts at CM’s residence - an informal briefing meeting –The ridiculous and wholesale cheating by Task force on RP-2021-What happened on Sunday October 7, 2007 at CM’s residence?
Politicians have their own ways, Media its’ own, NGOs have their own ways, the religious bodies have their own ways and the Government has strange ways to engage people…theiir best policy is hide information and keep one guessing, use when convenient and throw in dustbin…this is a truthful account of how an informal meeting and information given in good faith has been conveniently converted as “my presentation before the Task force RP-2021”. A RP-2021 prepared with falsehood is doomed to fail. For sake of posterity and keep the records straight I am constrained to bring out all the facts, there is absolutely nothing to hide...this is just a Zalak! I submit (let the MS, task force produce the copy of invitation sent to me or any other records and also explain who invited me and how for the so called meeting with CM on Oct 7, 2007) and stand by the statement that I HAVE NEVER GIVEN A PRESENTATION BEFORE THE TASK FORCE ON RP-2021. In fact I did never receive any cooperation to create awareness on the folly of going for a RP-2021. Check the mail pasted below. It is dated 25 august 2007 much before Task force on RP-2021 came into existence (on 5/10/2007). It reads urgent-for uploading on GRN, Goanaet etc.-The Model town and country planning act, 1998 Reply | Dr.Nandkumar Kamat to fredericknoron. show details 8/25/07 fromDr.Nandkumar Kamat <[email protected]>[email protected] dateSat, Aug 25, 2007 at 7:10 PMsubjecturgent-for uploading on GRN, Goanaet etc.-The Model town and country planning act, 1998mailed-bygmail.com hide details 8/25/07 I am sending the pdf file of page scans of Govt. of India's model town and country planning act (draft) 1998 (prepared to enforce 73 rd and 74 th amendments) which was sent to town and country planning dept. , Govt. of Goa, in 1998 for repealing the old TCP act, 1974. The Goa government organized a one day technical convention at Yatri Niwas in October 1998 where this act was circulated. Then the politicians developed cold feet because they felt that nothing would be left for them if the old TCP act is repealed and this one after deliberations etc. is passed. I had actively participated in this technical convention. Actually right from December 2006, GBA should have insisted on passing this act with suitable, people, eco and Goa friendly amendments. The GBA activists were sent a copy of this act in January 2007 through Adv. Satish Sonak of GPF. Basically, this act need to form the basis of any discussion even before you start talking of a new regional/perspective plan.But for reasons best known to it, GBA does not want to discuss about this precious document. Although the quality of some scanned pages is poor I request you to upload it at GRN, Goanet and as many sites as possible so that people who are going in wrong direction understand the importance of this model legislation and how it can empower local self government bodies.Politicians however, would be very happy to amend the old Goa TCP act, 1974 and not to commit themselves to repeal it and pass the new one ( a modified draft from 1998 model act). I am also sending by next mail the note which I had prepared for the committee set up by CSJP In october 2005, a full 14 months before GBA formation. I stand by all the points in that note and reiterate that:- 1. Repeal old TCP act, 1974 and begin public debate and hearings on the above model draft act, 1998 2. Order CTP, Goa to submit progress/failure report on regional plan 1987-2001 (old regional plan) 3.order Performance auditing of Goa state land use board and Goa state land resources management committee whose non action/inaction was responsible for RP-2011 mess and reconstitute both these bodies 4. Scrap all PDAs permanently 5. Scrap all ODPS (these are useless without CDPs) 6. Transfer interim powers ( till new mecahnism under new TCP act becomes active) for land use planning to local authorities consistent with 73 rd and 74 th amendments, to control these powers the gramsabhas to set up special committees 7. Implement recommendations of V.A. Pai Panandikar committee report on State finance commission 8.Consistent with unanimous resolution of Goa assembly of Jan. 18, 2002-appoint a task force for sustainable urbanization. Open the file which had recommended eminent town planner and architect Mr. Edgar Ribeiro to head the task force. 9. The new 10 year perspective plan is to be prepared only after old TCP act is repealed and new TCP act is passed. 10. Draft an act taking into consideration public opinion to debar the sale of land in Goa to outsiders on lines of Himachal pradesh and Uttarakhand The above may be quoted or referenced as 'Dr. Nandkumar Kamat's 10 point programme to clear the mess created by RP-2011" I stand by my article in Tarun Bharat, Goa edition October 11, 2007, commenting on the uncharitable remarks made by Arch Charles correia- which followed an interesting and informal interaction on Sunday October 7, 2007 at about 10 am with personalities who I came to know later from the press were members of the task force. “Where is the notification?. can I see the terms of references?” I had asked in the meeting which had no session of introducing anyone and it was difficult to see what was going on. I submit that I had no knowledge of the TCP notification issued on Oct 4, 2007 and the presence of Mr. Charles Corriea and Mr. Edgar Ribeiro in Goa on Oct. 6 th and 7 th. On Sunday 6 th, Oct. 2007 night , I received a phone call from D D Naik, Margao that the Chief Minister had called a meeting at his residence to discuss some urgent issues. No other names were mentioned. He said that his driver would pick me and drop me back to the university after the meeting. I stepped out of the house without reading the morning newspapers. That was a serious mistake on my part which I regret today. Because I did not know that an informal discussion would be construed as “official presentation”. That’s how I went for a meeting with the Hon.CM, Goa and found in the committee room Mr. Charles Correia (in front of whom I had deposed way back in 80s when he had visited Goa as Chairman on National Commission on urbanization) , Arch Edgar Ribeiro (whose name I had suggested to the then urban development minister Mr. Digambar Kamat to lead a task force on sustainable urbanization) , former CTP Deshpande, Yatin Kakodkar, Puttaraju, Ms. Pinto, Dean D’cruz. Mr. Yaduvanshi joined in jogging shorts. I came to know that CM was not going to attend the meeting. Actually I should have left immediately. That was another mistake. The personalities present wished to know ecological and environmental aspects, land use etc. in Goa. So I spent more than an hour in the committee room. Under no circumstances an informal discussion to which rest of those present were part can be considered as ‘presentation” before the task force. I know the government committee procedures very well having myself conducted public hearings as one man commission on Miramar beach management plan during Dec. 2001 –Jan. 2002. I wasn’t even aware till late afternoon that govt. had constituted the task force. It was not correct on the part of those who attended to hide this information. I spoke in good faith because it is always a pleasure when eminent architects like Mr. Ribeiro solicit information. But it is ridiculous to call an informal meeting as my “presentation”. I never received any minutes or transcript for correction. And If I were to appear officially my position would not have been different than what I have consistently stated-these articles were immediately mailed to TCPD on the email ID which they had given. The picture became clear by afternoon when I reached home and glanced at the newspapers. This is what I had written in my e-mail sent within a few hours of meeting to Mr. Soter Desouza convenor, CPR, as we were working on democratic decentralization movement. In response to Mr. Soter’s request to review the press note the following email was sent REPORT: from Dr.Nandkumar Kamat <[email protected]> to soter <[email protected]> date Sun, Oct 7, 2007 at 4:56 PM subject Re: Draft of Press note mailed-by gmail.com hide details 10/7/07 It is ok. My name is misspelt. It should be Nandkumar. Anyway don't stress right now on padyatra as a lot of logistics is involved. what happened to the memorandum to be submitted to the CM?. And decision to devolve planning powers to panchayats?. another interesting development is the constitution of a task force for new regional plan by the government on recommendations of GBA. Today I was invited to meet them> I am skeptical about architects, builders town planners deciding Goa's destiny. at CM's residence, they are meeting. I think the task force has Charles Correia as chairman, Edgar Ribeiro as consultant, Patricia, dean D'cruz, former CTP Deshpande, GHA chairman Yatin Kakodkar, Buider D D Naik, Puttaraju, Yaduvanshi as members.If you're still with GBA check up with Patricia and get a copy of the order appointing them. Study the terms of reference. Apparently they are working on model village plans. At least two meetings took place on saturday and sunday. Dean Dcruz seems to have his say finally and that explains Heta Pandit's game and Ritu Prasad's interest. Obviously the government would use these people and they are willing to get used by sacrificing the devolution spirit. Please take a position on this task force. “ Since I did not get any response reg. copy of the notification and terms of reference, how is it that a general discussion is construed as ‘presentation’/?. Did I volunteer to make a minuted/transcripted presentation?. If that were to be the case I could have easily requested the chairman himself. Someone took notes and included them as the putative presentation absolutely without my consent. I came to know about this trick only after glancing at the annexure to RP-2021. It made me sick. Because I felt cheated and used by the system. After Oct 7, 2007 there was zero communication from task force on RP issue. It is the task force, its’ chairman the CM of Goa, the person who did not properly brief me Mr. DD Naik-who actually owe an apology to me for conveniently converting an informal discussion ‘suo moto’ to make it appear as a presentation. I am prepared to face any inquiry to prove the malafide intentions of the government in this regard. The emails subsequently sent by me to CM’s office provide the proof of my stand even before Task force began its’ work. Besides I would like to know from all those who collaborated with task force and made presentations whether they did it in front of a member secretary appearing in his informal dress, jogging shorts?. Of course I have no personal objections reg. dress code. But the MS, Mr. Yaduvanshi very well knew that it was an informal 'closed door ' meeting and If I were to make a presentation I would have requested an open door policy. I maintain-RP-2021 has to be scrapped more so because it is based on falsehood, as I had stated above from my own bitter experience. I wish I could provide translation of my Marathi article from Tarun Bharat, Oct. 11, 2007 ( or thereabout as I don’t have the cutting of my article while typing this matter) to expose the real intentions of task force. The mandate and terms of reference of TF on RP-2021 had nothing to do with SEZ. But the task force was conveniently used to produce a report in record time with approaching assembly elections in mind to provide a face saving device to the govt with direct blessings from highcommand. Why then the govt. did not engage the TF to produce similar reports banning megaprojects and illegal mining ( both deal with land use) by overstretching TF’s mandate?. These questions are now useless because the (now Ex) convenor of GBA Dr. Oscar Rebello himself had frankly admitted that he had not read the controversial RP-2011. Apparently he had professional advisors to ‘brief’ him from time to time. But who really cares for a studious approach in Goa? Truth would prevail and future events would completely expose the forces in Goa’s parallel economy who need a notified instrument like RP-2021 for their final conquest of Goa’s natural, political, social and economic space.One can not demand both simultaneously-RP-2021 notification and decentralization. Goa which showcases millennia old self help institutions like Gaunkaris (communidades) which were experts in massive geoengineering and topoengineering (check the Khazans) need no lessons to teach people in 380 villages how to go about microlevel planning, spatial planning, land use planning, resource management. But there is perfect unanimity to deny powers to the people at grassroots. Government would give grants to the same people who have been denied copies of panchayat act, 1995 in their own language to get training in cartography, geomatics, remote sensing, GIS, CAD, CAM consistent with RP-2021 and that would hopefully generate more employment opportunities and remove all corruption. RP-2021 is an engineer, architect, builder, developer friendly slick, polished, unprecedented, technophilic, technocentric spatial planning model imposed by the politically vocal and dominant ruling elite of Goa to systematically disempower the people. Government knows and ruling elite knows that apolitical and non political protests are sterile and public memory is short. Political parties differ only in minor details in their approach to RP-2021 under preparation-but all are unanimous-let centralization of power prevail!. -- Dr. Nandkumar Kamat, GOA * * * The book people are already talking about: Goanetter Selma Carvalho's *Into the Diaspora Wilderness*. Launch on July 25, 2010 at the UK Goan Festival [http://goafest.itpsworld.net] Goa launch next month. See http://selmacarvalho.squarespace.com/ Buy at Broadway's, Panjim [Ph 9822488564] at Rs 295 in Goa. Overseas, postage extra. * * *
