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GBA Press Releases

Government Ammendment of Section 16 of the TCP Act, 1974

GBA PRESS RELEASE April 2, 2008: The Goa Bachao Abhiyan expresses its serious concern about the recent Bill that has been passed by the Assembly amending Section 16 of the Town and Country Planning Act, 1974, which seeks to give powers to the State and Central Government to undertake any public projects/schemes/development works which need not conform to the provisions of the Regional Plan.

The GBA feels that this action of the Government to amend the said Act while the Task Force is going through the process of preparation of the Regional Plan 2021 is tantamount to the Government initiating a parallel process to bring in Projects through the "back door" thus nullifying the very purpose of setting up a Task Force for preparation of a Regional Plan for Goa.

The words "public projects/schemes/development works, undertaken by the Central or the Government " have not been clearly defined in the Bill and could very well go beyond what is meant by "public projects" like roads, bridges etc. The recent case of the Goa Industrial Development Corporation seeking to acquire private land in Cuncolim at the request of the M/s. Vigneshwara Developwell Pvt. Ltd, New Delhi, ostensibly in "public Interest" for IT/IteS and other technology based industry with "work, live, shop and play concept" is a case in point which is most relevant in light of the said Bill.

The Goa Bachao Abhiyan demands that the Government immediately withdraw or amend the said Bill (and the Ordinance it seeks to replace) to clearly define what is meant by "public projects/ schemes/ development works undertaken by the Central or the Government" . If this is not done it will immediately send out a wrong signal to the people of Goa that while the Government has promised a well studied, participative and transparent Regional Plan for Goa through the Task Force, its intentions in fact are otherwise. The Goa Bachao Abhiyan expects an early response from the Government in this regard as otherwise it will have to reconsider its position in the Task Force.

Sd/-
Dr. Oscar Rebello.
Convenor.