Dears, In November, 2007, soon after the Task Force on on RP 2021 was constituted [vide Official Gazette notification dated 06 October, 2007], the Goa Bachao Abhiyan had an awareness programme on Panaji ODP at Clube Vasco da Gama. Many citizens visited the exhibition and powerpoint explanations of the ODP and alternatives to what had been proposed in the Draft ODP for Panaji. No city corporator attended it. At the request of the then Secretary of GBA, Patricia Pinto, I approached Ms. Sneha Bhobe the then Chairperson of Mhapsa Municipal Council, to have a similar exhibition in Mapusa in collaboration with the MMC and in MMC hall. She agreed, permitted and the event was held over three days at MMC hall. She together with the Councillors of the then ruling benches attended one the explanation sessions conducted by former CCP Councillor Patricia Pinto, Architect Ritu Prasad, Mr. Reboni Saha, Pravin Sabnis, Annand Madgavkar and others. Mapusa Nagrikancho Ekvott members came in large numbers. Large number of Mapusa residents, including few shopowners, came in their individual capacity. Hardly anyone seemed interested in the largescale conversion of low-lying paddy fields of Cundoy Khazan [behind Govt. Office Complex] and Morod almost uptil Green Park Hotel and across the Bodgueshwar temple to Hotel Navtara. The 2002-2004 Parrikar-led "Mapusa Task Force" plan for the "Bodgueshwar Plaza" in PPP format to permanently destroy the Communidade lands in connivance with the "deemed owners" [who actually cannot convert to non-agriculture use the land obtained at 40 paise a sq. metere under Section 18 of Agricultural Tenenacy Act, 1972] was to be implemented under a Congress-led regime that has been in place since 02 June 2007 general elections. Party labels mean nothing ... specially in Mapusa constituency and MMC. The Draft ODP 2011 was also displayed at the St. Xavier's college fete by Botanical Society of Goa [BSG] in association with GBA and GOACAN .... for the benefit of those who missed the GBA-MMC exhibition. GBA's only student member, who has also handed a memorandum to Shri Rajiv Gandhi at Goa University, Aaron Pereira has also made presentations on RP 2021 and ODP 2011 to the students of SXC earlier to that. Two and half years later, the Mapusa Merchants Association and the All Goa Merchants Federation has woken up. Thankfully, all is not yet lost. With the Mhapsa Municipal Council elections due in October, 2010 along with 12 other Municipalities ... all suffering from the PIDDA of PDAs that also afflicts some villages like Chicalim, Chicolna, Taleigao, etc ... there is hope if the powerful merchants class and caste really moves. The Government knows no fury as a merchant scorned? There are issues of Ecologically Sensitive Zones [ESZs] specially water bodies, khazan lands and cultivable paddy fields on which the CM, Secretary to CM [also Secretary for TCP, Forests, WRD & Public Grievances] and Chief Town Planner have been giving assurances since 04 March, 2010 and CM have even orally directed the CTP to prepare Comprehensive Development Plans [CDPs] for all ODP areas within TWO MONTHS from 15 April, 2010, using RP 2021 guidelines for ESZs. Written directions have been reported to have been issued on 27 April, 2010 by CM to CTP on issues raised by the GBA and other village groups [the Merchants bodies have not yet joined in this coalition for participatory planning for calibrated development in Goa] . Application under RTI Act, 2005 for a copy of these notings has been made. We will have to wait and watch. Mog asundi Miguel Mapusa bandh called in protest against faulty ODP on May 12 HERALD CORRESPONDENT PORVORIM, MAY 9 All Goa Merchants Federation and Mapusa Merchants Association have called for Mapusa Bandh on Wednesday in protest against faulty Outline Development Plan of Mapusa prepared by Town and Country Planning department. The bandh has also been called to invite the attention of Mapusa Municipal Council (MMC) towards the problems being faced by merchants due to the increase in the number of vendors and hawkers. In a meeting in Sirsat Hall at Mapusa, Mapusa Merchants Association President Yeshwant Gaundalkar stated that there has been considerable rise in the number of hawkers in Mapusa market due to which the Mapusa market has become congested. “The MMC has not taken any action against these hawkers despite repeated requests. There is absolutely no control of MMC over these vendors and hawkers,” said Gaundalkar. “Further, during monsoon every year market gets flooded and water enters the shops, but MMC is yet to take steps to prevent flooding of market. The MMC is collecting several lakhs of rupees from the merchant’s community by way of taxes, but the merchants do not get any benefit in return,” claimed Gaundalkar. All Goa Merchants Federation President Narayan Karekar said the Outline Development Plan of Mapusa prepared by Town and Country Planning department is chaotic and unbalanced. “If adopted in its present form, it will defeat the principles and objectives of Town Planning Act which is meant for the regulation of use of land. Hence to register our protest against the ODP not only merchant’s community, but also residents of Mapusa should observe bandh to invite the attention of MMC and concerned authorities,” he said. Freedom fighter Prabhaker Yende, Chetan Salgaonkar, Rama Raul, Gurudas Dhekne, Jawahar Shetye, Suresh Kamat and Jitesh Dangui also spoke on the occasion. After detailed discussion, it was unanimously decided to observe bandh on Wednesday and stage a protest rally from municipal market to MMC and submit a memorandum to MMC chairperson and chief officer and urge them to attend to the problems on priority basis. Mapusa Merchant Association Treasurer Rama Raul proposed the vote of thanks. http://www.oheraldo.in/news/Local%20News/Mapusa-bandh-called-in-protest-against-faulty-ODP-on-May-12/36678.html
Notified ODP worse than draft: MNE HERALD NEWS DESK PANJIM, March 4 http://www..oheraldo.in/pagedetails.asp?nid=18098&cid=26 Mapusa Nagrikancho Ekvott has expressed dismay over the manner in which the Outline Development Plan (ODP) for Mapusa has been notified disregarding the suggestions made by the city residents. Its convenor Adv Antonio Lobo, said when representatives of the Association, had met the Chief Minister on 3.10.2008 with a memorandum, he had assured the delegation that the modified draft O.D.P would be made available for inspection prior to its notification and that the representatives should meet the Chief Town Planner. After several requests, both oral and in writing (on 16.10.08) proved futile, the Chief Minister was informed by letter dated 3.11.08 that the inspection had not been given, Adv Lobo said in a press note issued here. Simultaneously on 3.11.08, he said, the Chief Town Planner was again asked to provide an inspection of the modified draft. On 7.11.08 the Town planner advised us in writing to inspect the plan at the office of the North Goa P.D.A, the convenor said adding again the same story that was experienced at the Town Planner's office was repeated at the P.D.A by the representatives of this Association. On 5.12.08 the Association then requested in writing that an inspection be provided but nothing was heard from the P.D.A and therefore personal visits were made to that office several times to request an inspection, he explained. Finally on 21.1.09 the Chairman of the P.D.A Mr. Nilkanth Halarnkar consented to meet a delegation of this Association, Adv Lobo said. However, when the modified draft plan was sought to be inspected, the Chairman refused to show it to the delegation. There was no reaction from the Chief Minister's office to the complaint dated 3.11.08, the convenor stated. MORE COMMERCIAL: Adv Lobo said this Association is pained to see that the notified plan is worse than the proposed draft plan in the sense that great swathes of land which at present are agricultural lands have been earmarked for high-value, high density commercial zoning(C1 =200%), medium (C2=150%) and settlement. Also C2 areas have been marked within the settlement residential zones and present settlement zones have been coloured as C2 zones. None of the proposals made by the citizens of Mapusa have been accepted and on the contrary C1 and C2 areas have been increased indiscriminately. The city of Mapusa and its citizens have been given all along a step-motherly treatment by the Government of Goa. The city is deteriorating day by day, he stated. http://www.oheraldo.in/pagedetails.asp?nid=18098&cid=26 --- On Fri, 6/3/09, Reboni Saha <[email protected]> wrote: From: Reboni Saha <[email protected]> Subject: Re: ODP for Mapusa and the GBA role. To: "Miguel Braganza" <[email protected]> Cc: "Annand Madgavkar" <[email protected]>, "Sabina Martins" <[email protected]>, "Patricia Pinto" <[email protected]>, "Ritu Prasad" <[email protected]>, "Goa Bachao" <[email protected]>, "Soter deSouza" <[email protected]>, "Goadesc Roland" <[email protected]>, "Albertina Almeida" <[email protected]>, "Council SocialJustice" <[email protected]>, "dean d'cruz" <[email protected]> Date: Friday, 6 March, 2009, 10:49 AM I think the ODP issue is ripe for a case - besides popular unrest. Is there anyone who can get some key people from Mapusa, so we can tie it in with Panjim, Taleigao and Mormugao? We have an advocate willing to take this on as a PIL - provided people can illustrate examples of what is going wrong. Reboni On 3/6/09, Miguel Braganza <[email protected]> wrote: Dears, The GBA along with the Mapusa Municipal Council led by Ms. Sneha Bhobe, had organised an exhibition and an interaction with the residents of Mapusa regarding the ODP for Mapusa at the MMC building. Marcal Pereira [son of former St. Andre MLA Teotonio Pereira] and Advocate Antonio Lobo had rallied the people of Mapusa to file suggestions and objections as explained by the GBA. All that effort has come to naught, as stated in the Press Note on which this report in the oHERALDo is based. The question that is being asked now is, "What does the GBA have to say about the participatory process in the light of this experience?" I have no answer. Please help determine an appropriate answer to Mapusa on the ODP. 188 [minus Taleigao] villages will be asking that question of the GBA after the Questionaires are submitted of the RP 2021. Better to find the answer for one before the deluge begins. Patricia Pinto and Ritu Prasad, led the awareness programme on the ODP, ...and Ritu was on the "D D Kosambi festival of Ideas" stage with Jaime Lerner of Curutiba fame .... whose "mass transport system" Reboni Saha spent hours explaining to the people at Clube Vasco da Gama exhibition on ODPs for Panaji. It is a Learning process for all. Mog asundi Miguel [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
