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News Articles

GBA hand’s six-point charter to CM’s office

NT Staff Reporter

Panaji, Feb 22 Hoping to clear the residual ill-effects of the now-withdrawn Regional Plan 2011, the Goa Bachao Abhiyan today demanded that the government should direct all planning and licensing departments in the state not to issue any permissions regarding acquisitions, development and constructions in any zone as per Regional Plan 2011.


This is just one of the GBA’s demands enlisted in a six-point charter that was handed to the Chief Minister’s office today. A separate four-point GBA charter sought to address gross irregularities in the preparation of the outline development plans (ODPs). Copies of the charter of demands were today handed to the media at a press conference addressed by the GBA convenor, Dr Oscar Rebello and other GBA activists.

Demanding that the government should issue the directions through an executive order, the GBA prayed that instructions should also be issued to the district collector, deputy collectors and mamlatdars to strictly follow the old Regional Plan 2001 only while issuing conversion sanads.

The GBA also demanded that all permissions issued according to the Regional Plan 2011 be revoked immediately and a complete list of these be made available to the public. It demanded that government should freeze all processes and land acquisitions for setting up Special Economic Zones, IT parks and industrial parks in Goa; that the government should issue an ordinance amending the Goa Town and Country Planning Act, 1974, to incorporate provisions of the 73rd and 74th constitutional amendments.

The GBA demanded a Central Bureau of Investigation inquiry into massive changes in land use made without public notice between December 12, 2005 and August 10, 2006. It called for the appointment of a steering committee of renowned professionals recommended by the GBA and headed by the Chief Secretary to guide and monitor the new Regional Plan 2007-2017.

A separate GBA charter of demands sought to address gross irregularities committed by the Planning and Development Authorities and the town and country planning department regarding preparation of the Outline Development Plans of Panaji, Mapusa, Margao and Vasco and other villages.

The first demand is that approvals, permissions and conversions sanads given for development as per the old ODPs be revoked immediately with effect from the date of withdrawal of planning areas. The GBA demanded action against officers responsible for approving projects in respect of such village areas using the old ODPs, which have thus ceased to exist. It also called for the immediate withdrawal of the present draft ODPs of planning areas and final notified ODP of Taleigao and Durgawadi.

The GBA has prayed that till the new ODPs are prepared as per the 73rd and 74th constitutional amendments, the previously existing ODPs should be in force and no permission should be given for individual deviations from the FARs prescribed for different zones.