LAND CONVERSIONS: Quit, GBA tells Minister, Chief Town Planner for allegedly misusing powers, favouring real estate lobby
Allege people deliberately kept out of planning process; condemn complete lawlessness, ad-hoc methods of land conversion; demand to repeal controversial amendments
PANJIM: The Goa Bachao Abhiyan (GBA) has demanded resignation of Town and Country Planning (TCP) Minister Vishwajit Rane and the Chief Town Planner Rajesh Naik for allegedly misusing their powers and deliberately keeping the people out of planning processes and favouring the real estate lobby through an “unconstitutional fee for conversion” approach. It also demanded to repeal controversial Amendments 17(2) and 39A and 19 (2) from the TCP Act.
During a public meeting held at Panjim, the GBA condemned the complete lawless and ad-hoc methods of land conversion under the guise of Amendments, ODPs and Ordinances were discussed vis-a-vis the requirement for good planning.
Reports of severe water shortages from Bengaluru are a clear example of bad planning and weak political will, despite which, large scale conversion of eco-sensitive zones continue ignoring water shortages in Goa itself. Such short-sighted acts guarantee hardships for people of Goa, threaten livelihoods, border on criminality and must be stopped with retrospective effect, it said.
Solano D’Silva and Swapnesh Sherlekar presented researched facts and data pointing out to huge land conversions for real estate companies and directors while Elsa Fernandes explained how these conversions would result in water and food shortages. Climate change such as flooding, salinity of water and unseasonal rain resulting due to constructions in eco-sensitive zones.
The meeting unanimously resolved to demand resignation of the TCP minister and the Chief Town Planner alleging that the duo had actively misused power and abetted corruption by deliberately keeping the people out of planning processes and favouring the real estate lobby through an “unconstitutional fee for conversion” approach.
It demanded repeal of damaging Amendments 17(2) and 39A and 19 (2) from the TCP Act, and revocation of the Ordinance that defies High Court orders in the case of ODPs, seeking to hide malafide and corrupt acts by various players.
The GBA demanded to stop blanket large scale zone changes under the IPB Act that work against the Regional Plan 2021 and destroy life-supporting eco-systems.
It demanded people’s participation in planning and land-use, with protection of the life-supporting environmental-systems that guarantee water security for future generations.
GBA convenor Sabina Martins and secretary Reboni Saha stated that they will continue to spread awareness through public meetings for people to make informed choices and act for a better future. The largest land conversions happened in Old Goa and so the next public meeting will be held in Old Goa shortly.