GBA Press Releases
Minutes of the meeting of People's Representatives with the Chief Minister
04 March, 2010
“Laxmi”, Altinho- Panaji-Goa
A ten member delegation of people’s representatives [number limited by the CM’s staff and security personnel, headed by Superintendent of Police-North, Mr. Bosco George, Dy. S.P. Deu Banaulikar and Inspector Tushar Narvekar] called on the Chief Minister of Goa at his official residence to discuss with him..
1. the early finalization of the Regional Plan for Goa 2021,
2. stoppage of all NOC's and permissions for “development” in ‘No Development Zones’, hill slopes, paddy fields, water bodies, fruit orchards and plantations pending the finalization of RP 2021, except for single dwelling units for the current residents of Goa and
3.stoppage of all hill cutting and land filling activities, wherever they may occur in the state of Goa.
The Chief Minister, Shri Digamber Kamat was assisted by:
| 1. Shri Morad Ahmad, | Chief Town Planner of Goa, TCP Dept., Panaji |
| 2. Shri Sanjit Rodrigues, | Director of Industries and Member of the State Level Committee [SLC] on Regional Plan 2021 |
| 3.Shri S.T. Puttaraju, | Senior Town Planner and Member of SLC. |
[Earlier, Shri S. T. Puttaraju was present along with Architect Dean D’Cruz of the SLC for the interaction of the people with the Chief Town Planner at the TCP office]
The people of Goa were represented by:
| 1. Dr. Sabina Martins, | Ph. D., Convener, Goa Bachao Abhiyan [GBA] |
| 2. Dr. Oscar Rebelo, | M.D., former member of the Task Force on RP, [GBA] |
| 3. Dr. Claude Alvares, | Ph. D., Director, Goa Foundation |
| 4. Mr. Durgadas Gaonkar, | President, GAKUVED, Dulapi-Corlim, Goa. |
| 5. Mr. Ramkrishna Jhalmi, | Kerim Nagrik Samitee, Keri-Ponda |
| 6. Ms. Carmen Miranda, | Loutolim |
| 7. Mr. Domnick Pereira, | Terekhol Bachao Union, Tiracol-Pernem |
| 8. Mr. Lourenco Fernandes, | Voice of Villagers, Verna |
| 9. Mr. Anthony Da Silva, | Ambelim-Salcet |
| 10. Mr. Miguel Braganza, | Joint Secretary, Goa Bachao Abhiyan [GBA] |
Dr. Sabina Martins presented to the Chief Minister of Goa a copy of the memorandum dated 04 March, 2010, submitted earlier to the Chief Town Planner at the office of the Town & Country Planning Department at Patto-Panaji, Goa. She reiterated the two crucial demands of the people of Goa:
1. That the Goa TCP Department incorporate forthwith the Village Plans into the Taluka, District and State level Regional Plan 2021 and complete this process through a notification in the Official Gazette and keep the said plans open for scrutiny of by the people of Goa; and
2. That the TCP stop issuance of all N.O.C. and/or permissions for land-filling, hill cutting and development on hill slopes, fields, water bodies and mangroves, etc, including but not limited to those areas demarcated as Eco-Sensitive Zone-1 & 2 in the Draft Regional Plan for Goa 2021 notified in October, 2009. Those permissions given in violation of draft RP2021 guidelines be immediately withdrawn.
The Chief Town Planner had stated earlier that it would require time of about six more months. Architect Dean D’Cruz had stated that six architects and ten AutoCAD operators would be needed to expedite the process and take up one village plan each day for processing and completion. This staffing was agreed and a proposal would be made for payment of honorarium or consultancy fees for the services rendered by the architects. Provision was already made for salaries of AutoCAD operators and this may have to be enhanced for a larger number of qualified persons needed to complete the work. Sabina requested the CM to give a firm date by which time the final RP 2021 will be made public by notification.
The CM stated that the State Level Committee [SLC] on Regional Plan 2021 had met and considered the status and progress of the Regional Plan for Goa 2021. “We have decided to issue the RP2021 for the talukas where there is no dispute between Village Planning Committees and Village Panchayats about the village plan” stated the CM. He also informed that the Mandrem village had proposed the conversion of large tracts of land from ‘agriculture’ to ‘settlement’ zones. Similar argument was earlier used by a Senior Town Planner for Morjim village.
The people’s delegation members, including Dr. Oscar and Miguel asked the CM and the CTP to make this village plan public and let the people of Mandrem village and the rest of Goa respond to such proposals. Dr. Claude Alvares asked the CM to instruct the CTP and the other TCP officials not to grant NOC's for development in talukas for which the taluka plans were not finalized, if piecemeal taluka-wise plans are being finalized.
The CM assured that no permissions will be given for cutting of hill slopes above 25% gradient and no filling of cultivable paddy fields or mangroves would be permitted in Goa under any circumstances. Any officer who grants such permissions would “fall in a soup” he stated. The CTP will initiate action on this as it is within his powers [under Section 17-A of the Goa TCP Act, 1975 as amended in 1994]. Further, no cutting of trees would be permitted in ‘notified forests’ and in areas ‘identified’ [by Sawant and Karapurkar Committees] as “Private Forest”. This would be placed before the TCP Board at its next meeting to be scheduled in March, 2010,and instructions issued to Senior and Deputy Town Planners for implementation thereafter.
Delegates from Tiracol, Verna and Keri-Ponda brought to the attention of the CM that cultivable land included cashew plantations and they needed to be protected. After the Fifth Amendment to the Agricultural Tenancy Act, 1964, a person declared as ‘agricultural tenant’ [by order of the Mamlatdar under Section 18-A, C and D], could not sell the land for non-agricultural use. In spite of being declared as tenants and ‘deemed owners’, false affidavits were being made to deny that the land was tenanted. Even properties of the Archdiocese of Goa were allegedly being clandestinely disposed to builders and brokers by this route. Tenants who do not want the land should surrender it but cannot sell it, insisted the people’s delegates.
Mr. Ramakrishna Jhalmi informed that land development was in progress even while the application for conversion was in progress and their complaints were falling on deaf ears. Miguel Braganza requested the CM to direct the Deputy Collectors & SDM to compulsorily obtain the file of the property and the proceedings sheet of the tenancy cases from the Mamlatdar concerned while hearing appeals [under Section 49 (1) of the Goa Agricultural Tenancy Act, 1964] so that no fraud is committed through perjury.
Dr. Oscar Rebelo emphasized that the people were looking for a signal from the Government that it was serious, that it would take action against violations of the laws and withdraw NOC/permissions given in contravention of the law. Piecemeal conversions must also stop. The Chief Town Planner informed that piecemeal conversions had been stopped since he took charge in 2005. The post-RP 2001 conversions were done only till 2005.
The CM reiterated his commitment not to allow construction in cultivable paddy fields, water bodies, forests, mangroves and steep slopes. The demand for protection of cashew plantations and orchard land was not accepted at this stage. With the permission of the CM, Mr. Sanjit Rodrigues [Nodal Officer SLC], informed that the State Level Committee [SLC] had felt that the village is too small a unit to notify separately under RP 2021 and so taluka-wise RP 2021 plans would be made public by notification.
At each time, the RP 2021 of one taluka from the North and one taluka from the South, beginning with Pernem and Canacona talukas by 31 March, 2010, would be notified for public scrutiny. This would allow the people to scrutinize and respond. The process of notification of the revised taluka plans, incorporating the village plans received from the Panchayats, for public scrutiny would begin this month of March, 2010. The process would end within six months from 01 March, 2010 [i.e. 31 July, 2010].
Dr. Oscar Rebelo asked the CM to confirm what Sanjit Rodrigues had stated as the delegation had been earlier told by the CTP that this was a policy decision that had to be taken at the political level and not at the administrative level. The Chief Minister concurred with what Sanjit Rodrigues had stated.
It was agreed by the CM that the CTP and the SLC would make public on the website and also brief the press of the progress every fortnight [2 weeks] on the progress of the Regional Plan 2021 notifications and related issues of NOCs/permissions and actions against violations. The progress in the first fortnight would be reviewed on 19 March, 2010.
Reboni Saha – Secretary
Goa Bachao Abhiyan
