http://www.epaperoheraldo.in/Details.aspx?id=2718&boxid=18307984&uid=&dat=12%2f1%2f2011
*“ Childish” Mauvin has insulted Goa’s villagers* D oes Mauvin Godinho himself believe that he compared over a hundred village groups demanding a just Regional Plan, to school children raising a silly tantrum? His contempt for the true voices of the people of Goa who feel completely cheated, should be rejected with a greater degree of contempt. Godinho is no saint. He is the architect of the Dabolim de- notification scam, where land meant for parking of the new Dabolim airport was snatched from the airport and given back to this powerful son of the soil who promptly sold it to builders. He lords over a taluka where three villages are not even in the Regional Plan but in the ODP, where green areas have been surrendered to the builder lobby with aplomb. Can Mauvin Godinho put a hand to his chest and say that he has not benefitted in any manner from the constructions in Sancoale and Chicalim? No one is surprised that the Congress campaign manager for the assembly elections ridiculed villages across Goa by saying that their demand to scrap RP 2021 is akin to children not wanting to go to school. His linkages with people with benefits who will be benefactors of this plan may have spurred him to attack the very people who voted him and his government back to power. He will pay for this. But more importantly, what is the plan Mauvin Godinho is trying to protect? Has he studied plans of every taluka or panchayat or held deliberations with people in the villages or with the Village groups to get a sense of what they are saying. Dismissive and despicable statements cannot be the hallmark of the Deputy Speaker of the assembly and a senior party functionary. Irresponsible rabble rousers can make remarks which no one actually bothers to take note, but a responsible senior MLA cannot have that childish privilege. It is you who is childish Mr Mauvin Godinho. There are serious issues with the Regional Plan 2021. Herald has outlined several and the gram sabhas continue to do so. Here are some that emerged in a Village Groups’ press conference today In the regional plan for Old Goa a buffer- zone for the Bainguinim garbage site has been marked but there has been no buffer zone marked around the churches. Hills and orchard lands will be notified as settlement zones, half of the village has been shown in Corlim. There are so many examples. The GBA, which is fighting for the preservation of this plan by correcting anomalies is either being bullishly brazen or plain foolish. You can correct anomalies when the fundamentals are fine. The fundamentals of the way the State Level Committee drafted RP 2021 are shady. How do you then expect a plan drafted with shady fundamentals are sought to be corrected through facilitation centers. You can’t cure a birth defect by going to a corner side medicine shop. Let the GBA see reason for the sake of Goa. It should work closely with village groups to work towards a plan which addresses all concerns and then work with a dedicated team in government to deliver a plan for the people. Let no powerful politician, builder or architect go to sleep at night with a smirk and say “ Maine kaam karva liya hain” ( I’ve got my work done). -- Please post your comments on my Blog: http://goanidentity.blogspot.com/ Please also see below: 1. Benaulim Village Action Committee: http://www.bvacbenaulim.blogspot.com/ 2. "Rape of Goa" : http://www.parrikar.com/blog/the-rape-of-goa/ 3. MAND - an adivasi-rights resource centre : http://mandgoa.blogspot.com/ 4. EVERY GOAN SHOULD SEE THIS VIDEO: http://infochangeindia.org/Infochange-documentary.html 5. Goa's Identity Movement group on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com//#/group.php?gid=193497031686 6. Official Government Site NRI Office (GOA): http://www.globalgoans.org.in/ --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Protect Goa's natural beauty Support Goa's first Tiger Reserve Sign the petition at: http://www.goanet.org/petition/petition.php ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
