VIJAI, MICHAEL HAVE TO STOP PLAYING VILLAINS STEPHEN DIAS, Dona Paula
The clamour against the setting up of the Planning and Development Authorities (PDAs) is getting louder and louder. At last, the people have organized themselves against the PDAs in Santa Cruz, Kadamba plateau, Taleigao, St, Andre, Calangute, Candolim and Parra. The congregation at the Azad Maidan on 6th April, 2018 saw an impressive show of strength by the people who want to oppose disproportionate so-called development which will sound the death knell for these areas which are basically villages. The people this time have made their stand very clear and staged a democratic and civilized demonstration against the further concretization of Goa. Goa Foundation director, Claude Alvares, a very prominent activist and environmentalist as well as many others like famous historian Prajal Sakhardande and Sabina Martins of the Goa Bachao Abhiyan also attended the peaceful show of strength and pledged their unstinting support against the formation of the PDAs. Thanks to their support, the Goa Against Planning and Development Authorities is now a well organized movement that can take the matter to the courts, even if need be to the Supreme Court, thus adding a much needed boost to the popular uprising against the PDAs. However, two elected representatives of the coalition government -- namely Town and Country Planning Minister, Vijai Sardessai and Michael Lobo, the Deputy Speaker and Chairman of the North Goa Planning Development Authority -- are adamant against bowing to the popular wishes. While Vijai Sardesai has termed the agitation a ~mobocracy”, which is totally misplaced, since the demonstration was peaceful and civilized, Michael Lobo stated that come what may, he would go ahead with the formulation of the Outline Development Plan (ODP) for Calangute, Candolim and Parra. These two coalition partners seem to be seeking the destruction of Goa by allowing the concretization of Goa against the express wishes of the people with high-rise buildings in paddy fields, orchard land, hills and coastal areas; which will lead to more traffic snarls and accumulation of garbage as well as discharge of sewage, in addition to putting pressure on electricity and water shortages, which is now widespread in the state and emission of more green house gases leading to global warming and climate change. People power is paramount and the bed-rock of democracy, and this time the people are bent on nipping in the bud the devious designs to sell Goa by resorting to disproportionate concretization. Sustained pressure should be kept by the Goans who only want to protect their land from land sharks and mafias and maintain the rustic charm of these villages, an essential element of Goenkarponn. Sent from my Samsung device
