PRESS RELEASE
The Council for Social Justice and Peace (CSJP), after wide consultations with
Citizens and qualified and competent professionals, cannot accept the Regional
Plan 2021 in its present form. The CSJP is convinced that the failure on the
part of the Government to comply with the demand that Local Bodies should be
empowered (legally) to be directly involved in the mapping and development
planning of the concerned villages and towns, with the assistance of Government
deputed planners and technicians resulted with the Government having to
de-notify the RP 2011. The RP 2011 prepared by Consulting Engineering Services
(I) Pvt. Ltd. lacked transparency, threatened to destroy ecology, livelihood
and culture and also make large-scale demographic changes to the villages.
While the Government of Goa claimed that the appointment of the Task Force led
by a renowned architect and a planner was a wise solution to rectify the past
errors and produce a people oriented Regional Plan, for the next decade or
more; the notified RP-2021 has grossly violated the recommendations of the Task
force, as also, the plans and maps prepared by the voters in their respective
villages/ towns. The Citizens are outraged because the whole exercise has been
distorted and as it stands today, is a threat to the ecology and the existence
of the Goan people and further compounded with vague, irrational and
contradictory planning policies and laws such as the introduction of MIZs,
Eco-tourism Zones, indiscriminate increase in settlement zones, development in
Eco-sensitive zones and NDZs, Amendments to Sections 16, 16A and 17 in the TCP
Act and the new Building Regulations.
A few examples of glaring distortions are:
- In Release 3 an entire village is shown as VP2, but just the
opposite is seen in Release 1, where only part of the same village is listed
under VP2 and the other part under the ODP for non-PDA areas.
- In a certain village, the Surface Utilisation Plans show cultivable
lands but the tabulation shows that cultivable land as NIL.
- The three main talukas: Bardez, Tiswadi and Salcete, show forest and
wildlife as 'NIL' - this picture - is it a fact to state that Goa has slipped
into such environmental degradation since RP 2001? Or is it an indicator of
gross negligence? Or intentional provision for the future?
- The term ECO-SENSITIVE ZONE 1 and 2 are self-explanatory, meaning
they are sensitive protected zones. ECO-SENSITIVE Zone-1 are 'areas of great
ecological importance that should not, under any circumstances, be touched. The
term ECO-SENSITIVE ZONE-2 represents those areas which are also of ecological
importance, in which essential but only minor - interventions could be
permitted. Whereas, the term ECO ZONES 1 & 2 can be interpreted in different
ways with a leeway like in Appendix XI - which states the permissible land uses
in Regional Plan RPG 2021.
The RP-2021 appears to reflect the conflict of interest of some of the members
of the erstwhile Task Force as also of the State Level Committee.
It is evident that those involved in the preparation of the Notified RP-2021
have ignored the aspirations and genuine recommendations of the Gram Sabhas and
Nagar-palikas, who sacrificed immense time and resources in preparing their
correct maps and plans.
The Gram Sabhas across Goa have rejected the present version of the RP-2021
which only reflects the frustration and disappointment of the people at being
betrayed by the Government.
The CSJP while disagreeing the RP-2021 in its present form, urges the
Government of Goa to abolish the destructive and controversial planning
policies and amend TCP laws, Goa Land Development and Building Construction
Regulations 2010 as also other relevant ones.
All permissions, with the exception of single dwelling units in settlement
areas, under the notified RP-2021 (not accepted in its present form), in
consonance with Goa Land Development and Building Construction Regulations
2010, must be suspended till the process of rectification is completed. The
remedial process must be initiated by the 15th December 2011.
The genuine aspirations of the people for conserving and preserving Goa must be
guaranteed in RP-2021.
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