LOOK CLOSELY WHO BASHES THE REGIONAL PLAN –
Editor and chief story teller of the Herald, Sujay Gupta is at great pains to
explain the ‘Bottom-up’ participatory process in his sunday center-spread,
leveraging his position to bring down the Regional Plan 2021. A man who has
represented ‘Top-down’ tyranny as a stooge of the Timblos during the agitation
against their Colamb mine - setting the police on the villagers and filing
cases against activist Seby in far flung Calcutta … a man who vehemently
defended his masters during the infamous Ordinance that sought to give favours
to the Cidade Goa against a Supreme Court ruling deeming their structure to be
illegal and on public land. This man today preaches participatory process and
seeks every day to highlight disparaging untruths and rhetoric in his
newspaper. Or is he doing his masters bidding as a mercenary, because the
anti-mining stance in the policy document of the RP2021?
Soter, chief saboteur and rhetoric artist – not going beyond words like
‘Builders Plan’ and ‘Dump’, where was this man when so many attempts were made
over the last 4 years to actually work out the real issue of participation
through inclusion of the 73rd & 74th Amendment to the TCP Act?
The head of the most rabid village groups, Franky, is a builder himself. Let us
not forget that the 60FAR that this Plan has introduced towards a less dense
Goa, has hurt many builders and buyers in the market place, just ask your
brokers for the real picture. He also has nothing much more to say beyond
‘Scrap’ and ‘Threat to Goa’.
And what about their figurehead, Edgar Ribeiro? The savior and good soul, who
actually assisted the Government as Chief Advisor in planning in the
promulgation of the most draconian Amendment to the TCP Act, 16/16A, that
allows people and the Regional Plan to be bypassed for projects in the guise of
PPP. The same man is talking participatory today.
This cacophony should be exposed for what it is – ‘phony’, getting the innocent
to believe their troubles to be over if the Regional Plan is scrapped. Its been
done 5 years ago when there was no chance for change, when GBA led a movement
to scrap the RP2011.
It may seem fashion to do again for those with no imagination, vested interests
and clear political ambitions. Evidence is enough in the sheer volume of
submissions for ‘Corrections’to the TCP office in self interest. The key
difference between RP2011 and the current RP2021 is that there is still scope
for change.
To rally against something without reading details, without even attempting the
channels provided for change smells of RAT. We have seen Mullahs issue fatwas
without reading content, we have seen all manner of corrupt spiritual leaders
and politicians twist facts and hide under rhetoric for their own ends, and
lead us into the dark ages without reason.
The current Regional Plan bashing is too early for its time, and is wrong,
steering us away from real devils.
The greedy shout the loudest, the wolves drown reason with their howling. Do
your homework, and be careful whom you trust before the elections is all I can
say.
Savio Fernandes
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Protect Goa's natural beauty
Support Goa's first Tiger Reserve
Sign the petition at: http://www.goanet.org/petition/petition.php
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
