GBA Press Releases

Regional Plan - 2011 UPDATE

GBA PRESS RELEASE April 28, 2007 : The GBA through this press briefing wishes to update the people of Goa, on the latest developments with respect to the Regional Plan 2011, which was withdrawn officially on the 7th Feb 2007 with retrospective effect i.e. 10th Aug 2007 due to public pressure.

REVOCATION OF PERMISSIONS GRANTED BASED ON RP 2011
The Goa Bachao Abhiyan has been persistently following up with the Government, through the Chief Secretary, to revoke all permissions granted under RP 2011.
The GBA has confirmed that the Chief Minister and Chief Secretary have given official approval on 2nd April 2007 for the revocation of all NOCs granted based on RP 2011 by the Town and Country Planning department. The list of the NOC’s for various purposes – Conversion,

Construction, Land Acquisition and Sub-Division, prepared by the T&CP Department and submitted to the Government on 28th March 2007, has been appended herewith. The Chief Secretary has assured the GBA that an advertisement intimating the public of the same will be published shortly.

The process of revocation of the individual permissions has already been initiated by the T&CP Department. The GBA would like to bring to the notice of all who have obtained permissions under RP 2011 that same shall stand withdrawn/cancelled vide the above decision of the Government. Those wishing to continue with the said constructions awaiting formal orders from the Government shall be doing so at their own risk.

In light of the withdrawal of RP 2011, the GBA sought to understand the implications of the Regional Plan 2001, which is now in force.

THE CURRENT PLANNING BASIS FOR GOA
This consists of:
1. The Regional Plan 2001 which includes:
a) Taluka wise Surface Utilization Plans
b) 2304 land use changes via Gazette notifications from 24th November1988 to 3rd Feburary 2005.
2. 10 Outline Development Plans
3. 12 Zoning Plans
4. 6 Plans around Konkan Railway Stations

Although the above Plans have been officially notified, copies of the same have not been made available to the concerned local authorities, neither are they displayed for public perusal.

This clearly shows a complete lack of transparency in our Planning scenario. The GBA demands that all the above mentioned plans which are in force as on date be put on public display.

ONGOING LAND VIOLATIONS
In the last four months the GBA has been receiving complaints, from people all over Goa, about various cases of land use violations and illegal constructions taking place and has been persistently following up the individual cases with the concerned Authorities. Despite various stop-work orders issued by the Authorities, the monitoring of the same by the State Machinery has been unsatisfactory and no punitive action has been taken till date against the violators. The GBA is in the process of compiling all the complaints it has received along with the subsequent follow up actions by the authorities, which it will make public soon.

THE REGIONAL PLAN 2011 – WHERE DID IT GO WRONG ??
This entire controversy of the Regional Plan 2011 arose mainly because of the fact that decisions were not taken at the grass root level i.e. bottom to top as required in a democratic process of governance, but decisions have been forced upon the people in a top bottom process contrary to the 73rd & 74th amendments to the Constitution.

It was done without the participation of the people and therefore alienated from the real local needs of development. The process was therefore anti democratic and the end result disastrous!!
Development is required but for proper development it is essential to empower the People of Goa as that they are the ones who should take responsibility for their environment, their land and their future!!


NEED FOR PEOPLE EMPOWERMENT
The people are the ultimate stakeholders in the process of development, therefore, the GBA has demanded that the Government now begins the process of formulation of the new Regional Plan through a participatory process, for which, all Powers, Functions, Functionaries and Finances as per the 73rd and 74th amendments to the Constitution, be devolved to the local bodies of government i.e. the panchayats and municipalities.

GBA’s APPEAL TO THE PEOPLE OF GOA
Now that the Panchayat elections are around the corner, the GBA fervently appeals to the people of Goa, to obtain a firm commitment from the candidates to work towards devolution of powers to the local bodies.

The GBA assures the people of Goa that it will stand behind them and vociferously demand that the 29 “functions” as per the eleventh schedule (Article 243 G) are devolved to the Panchayats and 18 “functions” as per the twelfth schedule (Article 243 W) are devolved to the Municipalities. This has been usurped by the Government for the last 12 years, which goes against the spirit of the 73rd & 74th amendments.

The GBA also calls upon the people to demand from the candidates aspiring for the oncoming Assembly elections that they make a commitment that, if elected, they will ensure that these powers are devolved to the local bodies.

This is essential to guarantee that any future planning for Goa will be as per the needs and wishes of the people. GBA reaffirms that development is required but it has to be Sustainable and Participatory.

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